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Good  Old  Dorchester. 


g  Barrattbe  i£)istorp  of  ti)e  Coton. 


1630-1893, 


WILLIAM   DANA   ORCUTT. 


We  may  build  more  splendid  habitations, 

Fill  our  rooms  with  paintings  and  with  sculptures, 

But  we  cannot 
Buy  with  gold  the  old  associations. 

Longfellow:  Goldfn  Milestone. 


CAMBRIDGE : 

PUBLISHED    BY    THE    AUTHOR. 

Jotjn  aSEiIson  &  Son,  SHnibttsitg  ^xm. 

1893. 


UW-u 


Copyright,  1891, 
By  William  Dana  Orcutt. 


Co  |Hg  iFat^et, 
HIRAM   ORCUTT,   LL.D., 

?IISf)08e  ILife  ^as  bttn  an  Engpiring  ISiample, 

THIS    WORK 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


PREFACE. 


setts,  offers  a  fruitful  field  for  the  his- 
torical student.  It  is  not  possible  for  one 
to  examine  the  events  which  have  occurred  during 
the  two  hundred  and  sixty-three  years  of  its  exist- 
ence without  becoming  filled  with  a  desire  to  become 
better  acquainted  with  the  men  whose  actions  shaped 
tlie  town  as  it  grew  from  its  small  beginning,  and  who 
established  the  noble  institutions  which  will  always 
keep  alive  the  beloved  name  of  '•  Dorchester." 

The  author  of  this  volume  was  impressed  with  the 
fact  that,  in  spite  of  the  existence  of  rich  traditions 
and  associations,  a  large  portion  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town  had  but  little  knowledge  of  them. 
The  only  complete  history  of  Dorchester,  published 
in  1859  by  the  Dorchester  Antiquarian  and  His- 
torical Society,  has  for  some  years  been  out  of  print. 
Blake's  "Annals,"  printed  in  1846.  found  a  place  in 
the  libraries  of   those    especially   interested    in    the 


PREFACE. 


early  records,  but  was  not  popularly  known  among 
the  citizens.  Dr.  Harris's  "  Chronological  and  Topo- 
graphical Account"  of  the  town,  published  in  1804, 
covered  but  a  small  portion  of  the  history,  as  he 
intended  later  to  issue  a  comprehensive  volume  on 
the  subject.  Tlie  Record  Commissioners  of  Boston, 
in  1879,  printed  the  first  volume  of  the  Town  Records 
of  Dorchester,  —  accomplishing  an  invaluable  ser- 
vice in  preserving  for  posterity  these  historical  doc- 
uments;  and  in  1892  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows 
and  Mr.  William  B.  Trask  performed  a  like  service, 
in  editing  the  Records  of  the  First  Church.  To  all 
these  earlier  puljlications  the  author  acknowledges 
his  indebtedness. 

A  narrative  history  of  the  town,  however,  has 
never  before  been  published.  The  author  has 
attempted  to  gather  together  the  most  important 
part  of  the  material  existing  on  the  subject,  and  to 
combine  it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it  of  in- 
terest not  only  to  those  familiar  with  the  facts,  but 
also  to  those  who  know  little  of  the  story,  and  who 
are  desirous  of  learning  something  of  the  historic 
spots  which  surround  them.  To  accomi^lish  this,  it 
has  been  necessary  to  omit  all  genealogies ;  as  these, 
while  of  inestimable  value  to  an  exhaustive  work, 
are  not  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  and  do 
not  properly  belong  to  the  narration.  Mention  has 
been  made,  however,  of  the  more  important  of  the 


inhabitants  of  the  town,  with  a  view  to  show- 
ing the  influence  they  wielded,  and  the  effect  of 
their  labors. 

Every  effort  has  been  made  to  prevent  errors  of 
fact  or  date  from  appearing  in  these  pages ;  but  the 
author  cannot  hope  to  escape  the  fate  of  all  those 
who  venture  to  tread  in  historical  paths.  In  all 
cases  possible,  however,  the  authorities  which  have 
been  consulted  have  been  verified  by  comparison. 
When  the  history  appeared  in  serial  form  in  the 
••  Dorchester  Beacon,"  criticism  and  additions  were 
invited,  with  a  view  to  avoid,  if  possible,  misstate- 
ments or  omissions. 

The  author  begs  to  take  this  opportunity  grate- 
fully to  acknowledge  the  uniform  kindness  and 
courtesy  with  which  his  requests  for  information 
have  been  received.  Without  the  co-operation  of 
many  citizens  of  the  town,  the  publication  of  this 
volume  would  have  been  almost  impossible.  Ac- 
knowledgment should  especially  be  made  to  Mr. 
William  B.  Trask,  who  has  carefully  examined  the 
proof-sheets,  making  invaluable  corrections  and  sug- 
gestions ;  to  Mr.  John  Wilson,  whose  advice  has 
been  of  great  value,  and  to  whom  the  typographical 
appearance  of  the  book  is  due ;  to  Dr.  Benjamin 
Gushing,  Mr.  William  C.  Codman,  and  Mrs.  Mary 
F.  Freeman,  for  untiring  efforts  in  the  interests  of 
the  work  ;   and  also  to  others  who  have  generously 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTEATIONS. 


PAGE 

View  from  Mount  Bowdoin Frontispiece 

Half-tone,  from  an  old  water-color  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  W.  C.  B. 
Fifield. 

The  Swan  House 25 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Richard  Mather 37 

Wood-cut,  following  a  photograph  taken  from  the  original  picture 
in  the  collection  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  at 
Worcester,  Mass. 

The  Tuttle  House 53 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

The  Blake  House 63 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

The  Minot  House 75 

Wood-cut,  from  an  old  engraving. 

John  Eliot 93 

Wood-cut,  from  a  photograph  of  a  portrait. 

William  Stoughton 103 

Wood-cut,   following  a  portrait   now  hanging  in   ^[emorial  Hall,  at 
Cambridge. 

Old  Church,  built  in  1743 .     .     .     117 

Half-tone,  from  an  old  engraving  in  the  possession  of  the  Clapp  family. 

Washington  at  Dorchester  Heights 127 

Wood-cut,  from  a  portrait  by  Stuart,  painted  in  nine  days,  in  1806. 

The  Barnard  Capen  House 137 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 


XIV  LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Captain  John  Percival 155 

Half-tone,  from  a  pliolograph. 

The  Pierce  House 165 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

The  Codman  House 175 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

The  Everett  House 185 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

The  Nei'Onset  Eiver,  ABOVE  Mattapan 197 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Edward  Everett 205 

Wood-cut,  following  a  portrait  by  G.  Stuart  Newton. 

FiBST  Parish  Chdkch 225 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Thaddeus  Mason  Harris 243 

Wood-cut,  from  a  miniature  likeness  in  possession  of  his  daughter. 

John  Codman 261 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph,  following  original  picture  now  hanging 
in  Second  Parish  Church. 

Nathaniel  Hall 273 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Signatures  to  School  Document  in  1641 294 

Process-cut,  from  a  photograph  of  the  original  document. 

The  Mather  School-House 337 

Half-tone,  from  a  pliotograph. 

The  Henry  L.  Pierce  School-House 355 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

"A  Puritan  Fajiily,"  showing  the  Minot  Cradle.     .     367 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

The  Ball  Hughes  House 387 

Half-tone,  from  a  water-color. 

The  Taylor  House 407 

Half  tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Second  Parish  Church 423 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Ebenezer  Eaton 441 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XV 

459 


Ebenezer  Clapi' 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 

Lucy  Stone 473 

Half-tone,  from  a  photograph. 


STat  Cuts. 

Ship  op  the  XVIIth  Century,  of  the  class  to  which 
THE  "  Mary  and  John  "  belonged 86 

Process-cut,  from  a  map  in  Dudley's  "  Arcano  del  Mare,"  1647. 

Eliot'.s  Chair 95 

Process-cut,  from  a  drawiuy". 

Tombstone  of  Clement  Toplipf 288 

Process-cut,  from  a  photograph. 

Title-page  of  First  Book  Printed  in  Boston    .     .     .     312 

Process-cut,  from  a  photograph. 

A  View  of  the  Watering-Place  at  Tinian  .     .     .     .      412 

Process-cut,  from  a  copper-plate  illustration. 

Lock  op  Dining -Koom  Door,  Taylor  House  .     .     .     .     417 

Process-cut,  from  a  drawing. 

Dorchester  Town  Seal 429 

Wood-cut,  from  a  drawing. 


John  Smith  .     .     . 
George  Minot 
Israel  Stoughton 
Nathaniel  Duncan 
Thomas  Hawkins  . 
John  Phillips  .     . 


^utograpts. 

.     .     23 

HlTJIPHREY   AthERTON 

.     .     27 

Hopestill  Foster    . 

.     .     27 

Roger  Clap    .     .     . 

.     .     34 

Richard  Mather     . 

.     .     56 

John  Foster  .     .     . 

.     .     57 

70 

81 

92 

230 

313 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


A    NARRATIVE    HISTORY   OF   THE   TOWN. 
1630-1893. 


20  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630. 

At  this  time  the  Prayer-book  was  reviewed,  and  the 
changes  then  made  tended  to  increase  rather  than  to  lessen 
the  ceremonial.  This  the  queen  ordered  to  be  vigorously 
enforced,  and  the  Puritans  were  compelled  to  take  decisive 
steps.  Some  immediately  separated  from  the  Church 
(1566) ;  wliile  others  sought  to  devise  plans  for  evading 
the  laws,  and  still  keeping  their  benefices. 

By  degrees  Elizabeth  removed  the  ministers  who  were 
known  to  favor  the  Pmitan  movement,  until,  in  1583,  she 
was  suiTOunded  by  those  on  whom  she  could  depend  to 
carry  out  her  wishes.  Archbishop  Whitgift,  the  primate 
who  succeeded  Grindal,  was  a  severe  disciplinarian,  and 
he  applied  the  subscription  list  with  much  more  thorough- 
ness than  any  of  his  predecessors.  This  increased  the 
number  of  dissenters,  but  produced  conformity  in  the 
Church. 

When  it  became  evident  to  the  Puritans  that  legislative 
relief  was  impossible,  they,  unwisely,  began  to  write  libels 
against  the  bishops  and  the  clergy,  until,  in  1593,  an  act 
was  passed  which  made  Puritanism  an  offence  against 
the  statute  law.  It  was  from  this  date  that  the  emigra- 
tion of  the  Puritans  began.  "  The  fundatio  perfictens,  — 
the  real  foundations  of  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts,"  — 
says  Edward  Everett,  "  are  to  be  sought,  not  in  the  patent 
of  James  or  the  charter  of  Charles,  with  their  grant  of 
zones  of  territory  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  but  in 
the  stern  text  of  this  act  of  1593." 

The  accession  of  James  I.  to  the  throne  caused  the 
Puritans  to  entertain  expectations  of  relief.  On  the  con- 
trary, however,  they  received  no  more  consideration  from 
Ifim  than  from  his  predecessor,  and  found  that  they  must 
expect  harsh  treatment  unless  they  conformed  to  the 
laws. 

The  Puritans  of  Massachusetts,  while  opposed  to  the 
ceremonial  of  the  ancient  Church,  did  not  belong  to  the 
violent  school  of  the  "  Separatists,"  as  the  more  radical  of 


1630.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  21 

the  Reformers  were  called.  They  regarded  the  established 
Church  of  England  as  a  true  Church,  but  found  it  a 
burden  upon  their  consciences  not  to  be  allowed  to  worship 
"after  their  own  light."  Soon  after  Charles  I.  ascended 
the  throne,  they  determined  to  execute  the  plan  which 
they  had  meditated  for  some  years.  In  the  New  World, 
they  thought,  they  could,  without  a  formal  separation  from 
the  Church  of  England,  enjoy  the  more  simple  and  unos- 
tentatious forms  of  worship  which  were  forbidden  them 
in  the  land  of  their  birth.  It  was  for  this  purpose, 
therefore,  that  in  the  year  1630  a  goodly  company  of 
determined  men  and  women,  chiefly  from  the  counties 
of  Devon,  Dorset,  and  Somerset,  gathered  together  at 
Old  Plymouth,  making  preparations  to  sail  with  their 
families  and  possessions  to  a  land  of  which  they  knew 
so  littla,  and  yet  from  wliich  they  hoped  so  much.  Chief 
among  the  company,  besides  the  ministers,  were  Messrs. 
Clap,  Rossiter,  Ludlow,  Glover,  Johnson,  Terry,  Smith, 
Gallope,  Hull,  Stoughton,  Cogan,  Hill,  Southcote,  Lovell, 
Duncan,  Pinney,  Richards,  Way,  Williams,  and  Tilly. 

Thus  quaintly  does  the  ancient  chronicler  record  the 
beginning  of  the  movement  which  cost  England  so  many 
of  her  best  yeomen :  — 

"When  many  most  Godly  and  Keligious  People  that  Dis- 
sented from  y'  way  of  Worship  then  Established  by  Law  iu 
y"  Realm  of  England,  In  y'^  Reign  of  King  Charles  y^  first, 
being  denied  y''  free  exercise  of  Religion  after  y"  manner  they 
professed  according  to  y''  light  of  God's  Word  and  their  own 
consciences,  did  under  y"  Incouragement  of  a  Charter  Granted 
by  y"  S*  King,  Charles,  in  y^  Fourth  Year  of  his  Reign,  A.  D. 
1628,  Remoue  themselues  &  their  Families  into  y*  Colony  of 
y*  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New-Euglaud,  that  they  might  Wor- 
ship God  according  to  y''  light  of  their  own  Consciences, 
without  any  burthensome  Impositions,  which  was  y'  very 
motive  &  cause  of  their  coming  ;  Then  it  was,  that  the  Fhst 
Inhabitants  of  Dorchester  came  ouer,  &  were  y"  first  Company 


22  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630. 

or  Church  JSociety  that  arriued  here,  nest  to  y"  Towu  of  Salem 
who  was  oue  year  before  them."  ' 

A  common  purpose  made  these  people,  who  were 
almost  unknown  to  each  other,  the  closest  friends.  The 
Rev.  John  White,  of  Trinity  Parish,  Dorchester,  in  Dorset, 
had  been  the  means  of  persuading  them  to  make  this 
strike  for  liberty  and  haj^piness ;  and  we  can  imagine  him 
moving  among  them,  with  a  word  of  encouragement  for 
the  faint-hearted  ones,  a  bright  smile  and  a  fii-m  hand- 
shake for  the  stout-hearted,  and  with  a  confidence  and 
fii-mness  in  liis  manner  which  inspired  all  with  faith  and 
courage. 

This  was  not  the  first  proof  of  Mr.  White's  sympathy 
with  the  emigration  movement.  He  had  given  his  assistance 
and  money  to  the  settlers  at  Plymouth,  and  had  encour- 
aged the  Old  Dorchester  fishermen  in  their  voyages 
to  American  waters.  The  failure  of  a  settlement  he  at- 
tempted at  Cape  Ann  in  1624,  under  Roger  CouaUt,  in 
order  to  furnish  a  trading-jjost  for  the  fishermen  on  the 
coast,  only  stimulated  him  to  greater  efforts ;  and  he 
threw  his  whole  heart  and  soul  into  tliis  new  enterprise. 

Rev.  John  White  has  been  termed  "the  Patriarch  of 
Dorchester  "  by  his  contemporaries,  and  "  the  father  of  the 
Massachusetts  Colony  "  by  later  writers.  He  sympathized 
with  the  Puritans;  but,  as  he  did  not  regard  the  ceremonial 
to  be  of  vital  importance,  he  did  not  separate  from  the 
Church.  His  moderation,  however,  made  him  unpopular 
with  the  authorities,  and  the  cavalry  of  Prince  Rupert 
destroyed  his  house  and  carried  away  his  library,  forcing 
him  to  go  to  London.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  who 
was  "  grave,  yet  without  nioroseness,  who  would  willingly 
contribute  his  shot  of  facetiousness  on  any  just  occasion." 
He  "  had  an  excellent  faculty  in  the  clear  and  solid  interpre- 
tation of  the  scriptures,"  and  "  had  a  patriarchal  influence 
both  in  Old  and  New  England."  He  was  rector  of  Trinity 
1  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorcliester,  p.  7  (1846). 


1630.] 


COLONIAIi  TIMES.  23 


Parish  for  over  forty  years,  yet  New  Dorchester,  within 
whose  boundaries  the  venerable  old  man  never  set  foot, 
probably  remembers  him  better  than  does  Old  Dorchester, 
in  whose  behalf  he  labored  so  long ;  for  no  stone  marks 
his  burial-place.  What  better  monument  than  that  which 
his  own  exertions  raised  for  him  in  the  New  World! 

Feeling  that  the  bond  of  union  must  be  made  as  strong 
as  possible,  the  emigrants  met  together  in  the  new  hospi- 
tal in  Plymouth,  and  associated  themselves  into  church 
fellowship,  choosing  Mr.  John  Maverick  and  Mr.  John 
Warham,  two  well-known  preachers,  to  be  their  ministers 
and  leaders.  The  early  part  of  the  day  was  occupied 
by  a  farewell  sermon  by  Mr.  White,  and  the  latter  part 
in  completing  arrangements  for  the  voyage.  They  set 
sail  from  Plymouth  on  the  20th  day  of  March,  1630, 
in  the  "  Mary  and  John,"  a  ship  of  four  hundred  tons' 
burden,  commanded  by  Captain  Squeb. 

While  the  voyagers  are  patiently  waiting  for  the  sight  of 
their  new  home,  let  us  take  a  glance  at  the  coast  toward 
which  they  are  steering.  No  one  knows  who  was  the  dis- 
coverer of  Boston  Harbor ;  but  the  first  record  of  it  was 
made  in  1614,  by  Captain  John 
Smith,  who  sailed  that  year  to 
America  from  England,  on  a  voyage 
of  discovery.  It  was  he  who  gave 
the  coast  the  name  of  "New  England,"  sailing  up  and 
down  with  a  crew  of  eight  men,  exploring  the  bays  and 
harbors  from  the  Penobscot  River  to  Cape  Cod.  While 
on  these  trips  he  traded  with  the  Indians,  and  gave  names 
to  the  different  localities  he  visited.  When  he  returned 
to  England,  he  drew  a  map  of  the  "  New  England  coast," 
on  which  there  is  a  bay,  with  eight  small  islands  in  it,  and 
into  which  a  river,  named  by  him  the  "  Charles,"  flowed. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  this  was  the  Boston  Harbor  of 
to-day,  incluiling  Dorchester  Bay ;  but  the  map  seems  to 


Jar    (S^^' 


24  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630. 

sliow  that  Smith  never  entered  the  Charles  River,  his 
knowledge  of  it,  as  shown  in  his  writings,  having  been 
acquired  from  Winslow  and  others  who  j^ossessed  more 
accurate  information. ^ 

It  is  unfortunate  that  we  cannot  tell  wlio  Captain 
Smith's  predecessors  were.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
French  wei'e  in  this  vicinity  before  him ;  for  Smith  writes 
in  his  account  that  the  French  had  defeated  one  of  the 
jjrincipal  objects  of  his  voyage,  by  buying  furs  of  the 
Indians.  Then,  again.  Governor  Wintluop  saj^s  in  liis 
Journal  that  Deputy-Governor  Ludlow  found  two  pieces 
of  French  money,  coined  in  1596,  when  digging  a  cellar 
in  Dorchester  in  1631. 

While  Captain  Smith  was  the  first  to  mention  Boston 
Harbor,  we  are  indebted  to  Captain  Miles  Standish  for  the 
earliest  accurate  description  of  it.  One  of  the  fu-st  excur- 
sions made  by  this  militant  Pilgrim,  together  with  ten  of 
his  sturdy  "army,"  was  to  explore  this  harbor;  and  he 
brought  back  such  a  favorable  report  that  the  Pilgrim 
fathers  regretted  that  they  had  not  settled  somewhere  on 
its  shores. 

The  Rev.  John  White,  encouraged  by  the  reported  suc- 
cesses of  the  first  colonists^  interested  prominent  persons 
in  London  in  projecting  a  new  settlement  in  Massachusetts 
Bay,  and  obtained  a  patent  from  the  king.  By  the  terms 
of  this  patent  the  Colony  was  to  be  governed  by  a  court 
composed  of  a  governor,  deputy-governor,  and  eighteen 
assistants,  whose  jurisdiction  was  to  extend  from  tliree 
miles  south  of  the  Chailes  River  to  three  miles  north  of 
the  Merrimac,  and  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  South 
Sea.  Preparations  were  made  to  gather  emigrants  for  a 
great  colony,  and  a  fleet  of  fourteen  vessels  was  the  result. 
The  "  Mary  and  John  "  was  the  first  of  the  fleet  to  arrive, 
having  on  board  one  hundred  and  forty  souls.^  Among 
the  passengers  was  Captain  Roger  Clap,  to  whom  we  are 
1  Prince's  Annals,  p.  128.         ^  Savage's  Winthrop,  p.  368  (1825). 


1630.]  COLONIAL,   TDVIES.  27 

indebted  for  an  interesting  and  accurate  account  of  what 
happened  to  the  party.' 

Every  effort  was  made  to  have  tliis  company  composed 
of  the  elements  necessary  for  the  formation  of  a  strong 
community.  The  two  ministers,  Maverick  and  Warham, 
were  selected,  not  only  to  take  charge  of  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  the  Plantation,  but  also  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  Indians.     Rosseter       ^  , 

and  Ludlow,  acting  in  the    jSdrCrXnpJ"  •"'^  -ffiof' 
capacity  of  Assistants,  or 

Directors,  of  the  stockholders,  were  men  of  such  character 
and  education  as  might  give  strength  and  stability  to  the 
Colony.  Men  such  as  Henry  Wolcott,  Thomas  Ford, 
George  Dyer,  William  Gaylord,  William  Rockwell,  and 
William  Phelps  had  good  stancUng  as  the  older  members 
of  the  party.  Captains  Jolui  Mason  and  Richard  South- 
cote,  and  Quartermaster  John  Smith  possessed  military 
experience,  and   could   direct 

J/  ^  i-L^fz    dians.     The  largest  portion  of 

tlie  company  naturally  con- 
sisted of  young  men,  such  as  Israel  Stoughton,  Roger 
Clap,  George  ^linot,  George  Hall,  Richard  CoUicot,  and 
Nathaniel  Duncan,  —  an  active,  well-trained  element, 
wliich  did  much  in  effecting  the  permanent  settlement. 

The  voyage,  though  a  long  one,  was  not  imcomfortable, 
and  the  ship  reached  "  Nantasket  Point,"  the  present  Hull, 
on  the  30th  of  May  (O.  S.),  1630.  The  landing  showed 
the  calm  spirit  which  had  taken  possession  of  these  emi- 
grants. One  by  one  they  left  the  "  Mary  and  John ;  "  and 
as  their  feet  touched  the  soil  of  the  New  World,  each 
offered  a  silent  prayer  of  thanksgiving.  Then,  after  all 
had  assembled,  they  are  said^  to  have  joined  in  the  fol- 
lowing hymn :  — 

1  Memoirs  of  Roger  Clap  (1630). 

2  Programme  of  the  Celebration  of  the  Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth 
Anniversary  of  the  First  Parish  of  Dorchester. 


28  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630. 


Thou  Lord  hast  beene  our  sui'e  defence, 

Our  place  of  ease  and  rest ; 
lu  all  times  past,  yea,  so  long  since, 

As  cannot  be  exprest. 
Refresh  us  with  thy  mercy  soone, 

And  then  oui'  joy  shall  be : 
All  times  so  long  as  time  shall  last 

In  heart  rejoyce  shall  we. 

O  let  thy  worke  and  power  apj^eare, 

And  on  thy  servants  light : 
And  shew  unto  thy  children  deare, 

Thy  glory  and  thy  might. 
Lord  let  thy  grace  and  mercy  stand 

On  us  thy  ser\'ants  thus  : 
Coufirme  the  workes  we  take  iu  hand, 

Lord,  prosper  them  to  us. 

It  had  been  understood  that  the  voyagers  were  to  be 
brought  to  the  Charles  River ;  but  owing  either  to  a  misun- 
derstanding or  to  perversity  on  the  part  of  Captain  Squeb, 
they  were  put  ashore  on  the  Point,  —  "  a  forlorn  wilderness, 
destitute  of  any  habitation  and  most  other  comforts  of 
life."  The  following  description  of  the  entrance  to  the 
harbor,  by  William  Wood,  in  1634,  justifies  Captain  Squeb 
in  his  unwillingness  to  enter  a  cliannel  of  which  he  was 
totally  ignorant :  — 

"It  is  a  fafe  .and  pleafant  Harbour  within,  having  but  one 
common  and  fafe  entrance,  and  that  not  very  broad,  there 
fcarce  being  roome  for  3.  Ships  to  come  in  board  and  board  at  a 
time,  but  being  once  within,  there  is  roome  for  the  anchorage 
of  500.  Ships. 

"  This  Harbour  is  made  by  a  great  company  of  Hands, 
whofe  high  Cliffes  fhoulder  out  the  boiftrous  Seas,  yet  may 
eafily  deceiue  any  uufkilfull  Pilote ;  prefenting  many  fane 
openings  and  broad  founds,  which  afford  too  fhallow  waters  for 


1630.]  COLONIAL   TIMKS.  29 

any  Ships,  though  navigable  for  Boates  and  fmall  pinnaces. 
The  entrance  into  the  great  Haven  is  called  Nantafkot ;  which 
is  two  leagues  from  Bofton  ;  this  place  of  it  selfe  is  a  very  good 
Haven,  where  Ships  commonly  caft  Anchor,  untill  Wiude  and 
Tyde  ferve  them  for  other  places ;  from  hence  they  may  fayle 
to  the  River  of  Wejfagufcus,  Naponfet,  Charles  River,  and 
Mijlicke  River,  on  which  Rivers  bee  feated  many  Townes." ' 

A  party  of  ten,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
Soutlicote,  proctu-ed  a  boat,  and  started  up  the  harbor 
and  Charles  River  to  find  a  suitable  place  for  a  settlement. 
They  first  landed  on  the  peninsula  wliich  is  now  known  as 
Charlestown,  where  they  found  some  Indians,  in  wigwams, 
and  an  Englishman  named  Thomas  Walford,  who  was 
living  in  a  thatched  house.  He  accompanied  them  when 
they  continued  their  expedition  up  the  river  to  the  site  of 
the  present  Waterto^vn.  Here  they  had  a  friendly  inter- 
view with  the  Indians,  the  old  trader  acting  as  interpreter ; 
and  it  was  decided  to  make  the  settlement  on  this  spot. 

In  the  mean  time  those  who  were  left  behind  had  not 
been  idle.  Word  was  received  by  the  exploring  party  at 
Watertown  that  a  neck  of  land  had  been  found,  joining 
a  place  called  by  the  Indians  "  Mattapan,"  which  offered  a 
suitable  place  for  the  cattle  to  feed.  The  settlement  was 
made  at  ]\Iattapan,  therefore,  about  the  first  of  June  (O.  S.), 
1630.  The  site  selected  was  near  what  is  now  Pleasant 
and  Cottage  Streets,  on  Allen's  Plain  and  Rock  Hill,  the 
present  Savin  Hill. 

Many  of  the  emigrants  were  trading  men,  and  at  first 
intended  to  make  Dorchester  a  place  of  trade.  With  tliis 
in  mind,  a  fort  was  built  upon  Rock  Hill,  and  several 
pieces  of  ordnance  were  placed  in  position  near  the  water. 
The  channel,  however,  proved  poor,  and  the  landing 
difficult;  so  the  idea  was  given  up,  and  Boston  and 
Charlestown  became  the  ports  for  trade  instead. 

1  New  England's  Prospect,  p.  2  (1635). 


30  GOOD    OLD   DOKCHESTBK.  [1630. 

A  month  after  the  settlement  of  the  Dorchester  colo- 
nists, the  rest  of  the  fleet,  with  Governor  Winthrop's 
"  Arbella "  at  the  head,  arrived  at  Salem,  and  decided  to 
settle  on  a  point  of  land  which  was  called  "  Charlestown," 
in  honor  of  Charles  I.  They  remained  here  but  a  short 
time,  however,  moving  across  the  river  to  Shawmut  (which 
means  "  near  the  neck  "  ),  as  the  present  Boston  was  then 
called.! 

Thus  Dorchester  was  the  fu'st  settlement  in  what  is  now 
Suffolk  County;  but  it  was  not  until  four  months  later 
that  it  received  the  name  by  which  it  is  now  known.  An 
entry  on  the  Massachusetts  Records  shows  that  at  "A 
Court  of  Assistants  holden  att  Charlton,  the  7th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1630,"  it  was  ordered,  that  "  Trimountaine  shalbe 
called  Boston ;  Mattapan,  Dorchester,  &  the  towne  vpon 
Charles  Ry^rer,  Waterton."  ^  Blake  tells  us  that  he  never 
heard  why  the  name  "  Dorchester  "  was  chosen,  "  but  there 
was  some  of  Dorset  Shire  and  some  of  y'  Town  of  Dor- 
chester that  settled  here  ;  and  it  is  very  likely  it  might  be 
in  Honour  of  y"  afoi-esaid  Revd.  Mr.  White  of  Dorchester."  ^ 
With  this  probable  derivation,  it  is  interesting  to  see  where 
Old  Dorchester  obtained  its  name.  In  very  remote  ages 
the  region  thereabouts  was  inhabited  by  a  clan  called 
"  Durotriges."  This  people  was  later  reduced  to  the 
dominion  of  the  Romans  by  Vespasian,  and  the  spot 
which  was  afterwards  called  Dorchester  was  known  as 
"  Durnovaria,"  —  a  name  derived  from  two  Celtic  words, 
Dwr,  or  Dwyr,  and  Var,  which  signify  "water"  and 
"  way."  Thus  the  name  meant  "  water-way,"  or  channel. 
Later,  Vespasian  made  the  town  the  seat  of  government 
for  that  part  of  the  country,  and  its  name  was  changed  to 

1  Shawmut,  afterwards  called  Blaxton's  Neck,  and  since  Boston,  was 
not  settled  till  the  spring  after  by  Governor  Wintlirop  and  his  people. — 
Ferdinando  Gorges:  Description  of  New  England  (1659). 

^  Records  of  Massachusetts,  vol.  i.  p.  75  (1853). 

8  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  8  (1846). 


1630.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  31 

"  Dorchester."  *  Here  the  Romans  built  fortifications,  and 
near  by  they  erected  the  largest  Roman  ampliitheatre  in 
England,  the  circuit  of  which  still  remains.  In  the  times 
of  the  Saxon  kings,  the  town  was  a  stronghold ;  later,  it 
was  stormed  by  the  Danes ;  and,  under  a  violent  Norman 
governor,  one  hundred  of  its  one  hundred  and  eighty 
houses  were  destroyed.  It  is  now  a  prosperous  city, 
"  whose  most  honored  memorial,  in  after  times,"  says  an 
American  statesman,  "  will  be  that  it  gave  origin  to  this, 
its  American  namesake,  and  impulse  to  one  of  the  noblest 
enterprises  of  transatlantic  colonization." 

The  only  European  whose  name  has  come  down  to  us  as 
a  resident  of  Dorchester,  before  the  arrival  of  the  "  Mary 
and  John,"  is  David  Thompson.  He  settled  on  the  island 
which  still  bears  his  name,  and  there  carried  on  his 
trade,  dealing  in  furs  and  fish.  Thompson  probably  left 
Dorchester  soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  first  settlers,  as 
no  mention  is  made  of  liim  after  that  date.  It  is  thought 
that  William  Trevour  preceded  Thompson,  but  nothing 
authentic  is  known  in  regard  to  liis  movements. 

The  land  wliich  the  early  settlers  had  chosen  for  their 
abode  belonged  to  the  tribe  of  Indians  known  as  the 
"  Massachusetts,"  whose  chief  was  Cliickataubut.  In 
1621  he  had  signed  a  treaty  Avith  the  English  at  Plymouth, 
and  in  1630  further  showed  his  good-will  toward  the  new- 
comers by  consenting  to  the  occupancy  of  Dorchester. 
We  do  not  know  just  what  the  Indian  chief  received  in 
retui'n,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  transaction  was  completed 
on  satisfactory  tenns. 

It  is  a  severe  portrait  which  the  first  two  years  of  the 
Colony  present  to  us.  The  New  England  of  two  huncbed 
and  sixty-three  years  ago  did  not  offer  a  kindly  settlement 
to  the  brave  emigrants  who  sought  to  break  into  its 
austerity.     The  ground  had  to  be  cleared  before  even  the 

'  History  of  Dorchester,  in  the  County  of  Dorset,  pp.  61-66. 


32  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1631. 

rude  huts  could  be  reared,  aud  the  trees  felled  before  a 
space  could  be  found  to  plant  the  seeds  necessary  to  pre- 
vent starvation. 

On  the  coast  the  settlers  found  nothing  to  break  their 
desolation.  Wet  meadows  and  oozy  creeks  prevented 
them  from  going  in  one  tUrection,  while  unfordable  tide- 
water rivers  interfered  with  their  progress  in  another. 
Utterly  ignorant  of  the  character  of  the  country,  it  is  not 
strange  that  imagination  added  to  the  real  terrors  which 
sru-rounded  them,  and  made  them  feel  that  safety  was  not 
to  be  found  anywhere.  "  Unearthly  cries  were  sometimes 
heard  in  the  crackling  woods,"  said  Edward  Everett  in 
his  Fourth  of  July  oration  in  Dorchester  in  1855 ; 
"glimpses  were  caught,  at  dusk,  of  animals  for  which 
natui'al  liistory  had  no  names ;  and  strange  foot-maiks, 
which  men  did  not  like  to  speak  of,  were  occasionally  seen 
in  the  snow."  Added  to  this  was  the  terror  of  rattle- 
snakes, with  which  the  country  swarmed,  and  of  dangerous 
animals  wliich  prowled  about  by  night.  The  Indians,  too, 
whose  tlisposition  toward  the  white  men  was  entirely 
unknown,  were  a  source  of  anxiety  night  and  day. 

Rufus  Choate  strikingly  described  the  early  sufferings 
of  the  Puritans  when  he  said,  — 

"  Do  you  not  think  that  whoso  could,  by  adequate  descrip- 
tion, bring  before  you  that  winter  of  the  Pilgrims,  its  brief 
sunshine,  the  nights  of  storm,  slow  waning,  the  damp  aud  icy 
breath,  felt  to  the  pillow  of  the  dying ;  its  destitutions ;  its 
contrast  with  all  their  foiTner  experience  in  life ;  its  utter 
insulation  and  loneliness ;  its  death-beds  and  burials ;  its 
memories ;  its  apprehensions ;  its  hopes ;  the  counsels  of  the 
prudent ;  the  prayers  of  the  pious ;  the  occasional  cheerful 
hymn,  in  which  the  strong  heart  threw  off  its  burthen,  and 
asserting  its  unvanquished  nature,  went  up  like  a  liird  of  dawn 
to  the  skies,  — do  ye  not  think  that  whoso  could  describe  them 
calmly  waiting  in  that  defile,  lonelier  and  darker  than  Thermo- 
pyliE,  for  a  morning  that  might  never  dawn,  or  might  show 


1631.]  COLONIAi   TIRfES.  33 

them,  when  it  did,  a  mightier  arm  than  the  Persian  raised  as  in 
act  to  strike,  would  he  not  sketch  a  scene  of  more  difficult  and 
rarer  heroism?  A  scene,  as  Wordsworth  has  said,  '  Melancholy, 
yea  dismal,  yet  consolatory  and  full  of  joy ; '  a  scene  even 
better  fitted  to  succor,  to  exalt,  to  lead  the  forlorn  hopes  of  all 
great  causes,  till  time  shall  be  no  more !  "  ' 

Captain  Clap  also  gives  us  a  vivid  picture  of  the  priva- 
tions and  suffering  that  the  people  went  through :  — 

"  Oh  y"  Hunger  that  many  suffered,  and  saw  no  hope  in  an 
Eye  of  Reason  to  be  supplyed,  only  by  Clams,  &  Muscles,  and 
Fish ;  and  Bread  was  so  very  Scarce,  that  sometimes  y^  very 
crusts  of  my  Father's  Table  would  have  been  very  Sweet  unto 
me :  And  when  I  could  have  Meal  &  Water  &  Salt,  boiled 
together,  it  was  so  good,  who  could  wish  better?  And  it  was 
not  accounted  a  strange  thing  in  those  Days  to  Drink  water, 
and  to  eat  Samp  or  Homine  without  Butter  or  Milk.  Indeed  it 
would  have  been  a  strange  thing  to  see  a  piece  of  Roast  Beef, 
Mutton  or  Veal;  tho'  it  was  not  long  before  there  was  Roast 
Goat."  ^ 

Again  writing  of  the  hardships,  Captain  Clap  says,  — 

"And  in  those  days,  in  our  Straits,  though  I  cannot  say 
God  sent  a  Raven  to  feed  us,  as  He  did  the  Prophet  Elijah, 
yet  this  I  can  say  to  the  Praise  of  God's  Glory,  that  He  sent 
not  only  poor,  ravenous  Indians,  which  came  with  their  Baskets 
of  Corn,  on  their  Backs  to  trade  with  us,  which  was  a  good 
Supply  unto  many ;  but  also  sent  Ships  from  Holland  and  from 
Ireland  with  Provisions,  and  Indian  Corn  from  Virginia,  to 
supply  the  Wants  of  his  dear  Servants  in  this  Wilderness,  both 
for  Food  and  Rayment."^ 

It  would  not  have  been  remarkable  if  these  unexpected 
privations  had  made  some  of  the  colonists  wonder  if  they 
had  improved  their  lot ;  but  Captain  Clap  again  writes : 

'  Speech  on  "Spartan  and  Puritan  Heroism." 

2  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  11  (1846). 

3  Memoirs  of  Captain  Roger  Clap,  p.  30  (1846). 


34  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1632. 

"  I  do  not  remember  that  ever  I  did  wish  in  my  Heart  that  I 
had  not  come  into  this  Country,  or  wish  myself  bacii  agani  to 
my  Father's  House :  Yea  I  was  so  far  from  that,  that  I  wished 
and  advised  some  of  my  dear  Brethren  to  come  hither  also ; 
which  accordingly  one  of  my  Brothers  and  those  two  that  mar- 
ried my  two  Sisters,  sold  their  Means  and  came  thither."' 

Hubbard,  in  his  "  General  History  of  New  England," 
p.  198  (1815),  makes  early  reference  to  Dorchester.  He 
records  the  following  occurrence  in  the  year  1632 :  — 

"  One  Henry  Wey  [Way]  of  Dorchester,  who  had  gone  in  a 
shallop  to  trade  with  the  eastern  Indians  the  winter  before,  and 
was  long  missing,  this  summer  (1632)  it  was  found  that  himself 
and  his  company  were  all  treacherously  killed  by  the  Indians. 
Another  shallop  of  his,  being  sent  out  in  the  spring  to  seek 
after  that,  was  cast  away  at  Agamenticus,  and  two  of  the  men 
that  were  in  her  were  drowned." 

The  year  1633  marked  an  important  epoch  in  the 
progress  of  the  Colony ;  for  at  this  time  "  it  set  the  ex- 
ample of  that  municipal  organization  which  has  prevailed 
throughout  New  England,  and  has  proved  one  of  the  chief 
sources  of  its  progress."  ^  As  James  Blake  quaintly 
describes  it,  — 

"  This  Year  this  Plantation  began  y"  Practice  of  Choosing 
men,  that  we  now  call  Selectmen  or  Townsmen.  They  Chose 
12  this  year  to  order  y*  Affairs  of  y^  Plantation,  who  were  to 
have  theu'  Monthly  Meetings,  and  their  orders  being  Con- 
firmed by  y^  Plantation  were  of  full  force  and  binding  to 
y*  Inhabitants." 

/»       ^_^  The  chronicler  does  not 

Sk^T'^^'-'^UUiCCUL'    oiv^   *^^    names   of    those 
who  served  in  the  capac- 
ity of  selectmen  this  year,  but  for  1634  records  those  of 
"  Mr.  Newbury,  Mr.  Stoughton,  Mr.  Woolcott,  Mr.  Duncan, 

1  Memoirs  of  Captain  Roger  Clap,  p.  20  (1846). 

'  Edward  Everett's  Fourth  of  July  Oration,  at  Dorcliester,  1855. 


1633.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  35 

Goocbnan  Phelps,  Mr.  Hathorne,  Mr.  Williams,  Go.  Minot, 
Go.  Gibbes,  &  Mr.  Smith."  i 

The  important  order  which  established  tliis  first  special 
town  government  in  New  England  is  dated  October  8, 
1633,  and  reads  as  follows:  — 

"  Imprimis  it  is  ordered  that,  For  the  generall  good  and  well 
ordering  of  the  affayres  of  the  Plantation  then-  shall  be  every 
Mooneday  before  the  Com-t  by  eight  of  the  Clocke  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  p'sently  upon  the  beating  of  the  dnim,  a  generall 
meeting  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Plantation  att  the  meeteing- 
house,  there  to  settle  (and  sett  downe)  such  orders  as  may  tend 
to  the  generall  good  as  aforesayd :  and  every  man  to  be  bound 
thereby  without  gaynesaying  or  resistance.  It  is  also  agreed 
that  there  shall  be  twelve  men  selected  out  of  the  Company 
that  may  or  the  greatest  p't  of  them  meete  as  aforesayd  to 
determine  as  aforesayd,  yet  so  as  is  desbed  that  the  most  of 
the  Plantation  will  keepe  the  meeteing  constantly  and  all  that 
are  there  although  none  of  the  Twelve  shall  have  a  free  voyce 
as  any  of  the  12  and  that  the  greate[r]  vote  both  of  the  12  and 
the  other  shall  be  of  force  and  efflcasy  as  aforesayd.  And  it 
is  likewise  ordered  that  all  things  concluded  as  aforesayd  shall 
stand  in  force  and  be  obeyed  untill  the  next  monethly  meete- 
ing and  afteiTvardes  if  it  be  not  contradicted  and  other  wise 
ordered  upon  the  sayd  monethly  meete  [ing]  by  the  greatest 
p'te  of  those  that  are  p<'sent  as  aforesayd."^ 

Previous  to  this  action,  every  order  was  voted  upon  by 
the  freemen,  and  there  was  a  committee  to  sign  land- 
grants,  consisting  of  two  clergymen  and  deacons. 

On  July  24  a  second  shipload  of  eighty  passengers 
arrived  from  Weymouth,  England,^  and  settled  in  Dor- 
chester, adding  much  to  the  strength  of  the  Colony. 

The  assessments  made  by  the  Court  in  October  of  this 
year  show  that  Dorchester  was  the  largest  ^  or  wealtliiest 
town  in  Massachusetts.     While  Boston,  Roxbury,  Newton, 

1  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  13  (1846). 

2  Dorchester  Town  Records,  p.  3  (1879). 
2  Governor  Winthrop's  Journal,  p.  51. 


36  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1635. 

Watertown,  and  Charlestown  were  each  taxed  .£48,  and 
Salem  £28,  Dorchester  was  assessed  for  £80.  "  In  all 
military  musters,  or  civil  assemblies  where  dignity  is 
regarded,"  says  Prince,  "Dorchester  used  to  have  the 
precedence."  ^ 

In  September,  Captain  John  Oldham,  —  who  was  after- 
wards killed  by  the  Pequot  Indians,  —  with  Samuel  Hall 
and  two  others,  travelled  thi-ough  the  wilderness  to  Con- 
necticut, to  view  the  country  and  to  trade  with  the 
Indians.  The  flattering  accounts  which  they  gave  of  the 
country,  and  also  a  lack  of  harmony  which  unfortunately 
existed  between  certain  portions  of  the  settlers,  influenced 
many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Dorchester  and  Ne^vtown,  the 
present  Cambridge,  to  plan  an  emigration.  The  policy  of 
this  action  was  one  of  the  earliest  matters  to  come  before 
the  newly  created  magistrates,  and  the  debate  upon  the 
subject  was  very  heated.  A  majority  of  the  General 
Coui-t  opposed  the  removal  on  various  grounds,  the  "  pro- 
catarctical"  reason,  as  Hubbard  asserts,  being  the  danger  of 
losing  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  people.  The  arrival 
of  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  the  following  year,  with  a  goodly 
following  of  one  hundi-ed  persons,  who  were  prepared  to 
take  the  places  of  those  who  desired  to  leave,  influenced 
the  Coxirt  to  grant  permission.  In  the  summer  of  1635, 
therefore,  the  company  departed.  They  settled  in  a  place 
called  by  the  IncUans  "  Mattaneang,"  or  "  Ouschanka- 
mang,"  which  they  called  "  Windsor."  ^ 

The  emigrating  party  consisted  of  about  one  hunched 
men,  women,  and  cliilcben,  including  the  junior  pastor, 
Mr.  Warham,  mostly  from  Dorchester,  but  a  few  from 
Newtown  and  Watertown.  They  were  fourteen  days 
performing  the  tedious  journey  thi-ough  the  wilderness, 
and  on  their  arrival  they  settled  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Connecticut,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Scantic  River.     Here 

1  Prince's  Annals,  p.  208.  ^  Hubbard's  Hist,  of  N.  E.  (1815). 


1633.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  39 

the  emigrants  were  put  to  great  straits:  the  provisions 
were  nearly  exhausted  when  they  arrived ;  the  crops  they 
raised  were  small,  as  most  of  their  time  was  spent  in  clear- 
ing the  ground  and  building  rude  huts ;  the  winter  came 
early,  and  was  very  severe.  The  families  were  reduced  to 
extremity,  and  they  were  obliged  to  live  upon  "  acorns  and 
malt  and  grains."  Their  cattle,  also,  suffered  much,  and 
the  greater  part  died.^ 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Massachusetts  Charter  was 
chafted  for  a  trading  company  instead  of  an  independent 
government,  it  provided  only  for  the  stockholders ;  and 
Edward  Rosseter,  Roger  Ludlow,  and  John  Glover  were 
the  only  known  representatives  of  this  board  in  the 
Dorchester  Company.  It  is  possible  that  Henry  Wolcott 
and  Thomas  Newbery  were  also  stockholders.  Thus  the 
great  part  of  the  early  settlers  had  no  political  rights  under 
the  charter ;  but  the  Court  took  immediate  steps  to  extend 
the  privileges  of  freemanship  to  all  suitable  persons. 
When  the  first  application  for  this  right  was  made,  on 
October  19,  1630,  twenty-four  out  of  the  one  hundred  and 
eight  persons  belonged  to  Dorchester.  These  twenty-four 
first  Dorchester  freemen  were :  — 

John  Greenoway  William  Phelpsr''  John  Woolridge.  ^ 

[Grenaway].  George  Dyer.  Bigot  [Bagot]  Eggleston. 

Christopher  Gibson.  John  Hoskins.  Mr.  Ralph  Glover. 

John  Benham.  Thomas  Ford.  John  Phillips. 

Mr.  Thomas  Southcote.  Nicolas  Upsall.  William  Gaylovd 

Mr.  Richard  Southcote.  Stephen  Terry.  [Gallard]. 

Mr.  John  Maverick.  Roger  Williams.  William  Rockwell. 

Mr.  John  Warhara.  Thomas  Lumbert.  William  Hubbert 

Henry  Wolcott.  Thomas  Stoughton.  [Hulbert]. 

The  following  list  contains  the  names  of  others  who 
were  made  freemen  previous  to  the  date  of  the  Church 
Records,  August  23,  1636 : 2  _ 

'  Governor  Winthrop's  Journal,  p.  98. 
2  Records  of  First  Church,  p.  v  (1891), 


40 


GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER. 


[1633. 


Mr.  John  Branker. 
Barnard  Capen. 
Jobn  Capen. 
Joshua  Carter. 
Roger  Clap. 
Joseph  Clarke. 
Augustine  Clement. 
IMr.  John  Cogan. 
Richard  CoUacott 

[CollicotJ. 
Aaron  Cooke. 
Robert  Deeble. 
Nicholas  Denslow. 
Thomas  Dewey. 
Thomas  Dimmoek 

[Dimocke]. 
Nathaniel  Duncan. 
John  Eales  [Eeles]. 
Henry  Feakes[Fookes]. 
Walter  Filer. 
Stephen  French. 
GUes  Gibbs. 
Jonathan  Gillet. 


Matthew  Grant. 
Thomas  Gunn. 
Edmund  Ilart. 
Thomas  Hatch. 
William  Hatborne. 
John  Hayden. 
Thomas  Holcomb. 
William  Hosford 

[Horsford]. 
Simon  Hoyt. 
George  Hull. 
John  Hull. 
Thomas  Jeffrey. 
Jobn  Leavitt. 
Thomas  Marshall. 
Captain  Jobn  Mason. 
Moses  Maverick, 
tieorge  Minot. 
John  Moore. 
Mr.  Thomas  Newbery. 
John  Newton. 
James  Parker. 
Elias  Parkmau. 


John  Pierce. 
George  Phillips. 
Eltweed  Pomeroy. 
John  Pope. 
Philip  Randall. 
Thomas  Rawlins. 
William  Read. 
Bray  Rossiter. 
Matthias  [Matthew] 

Sension. 
John  Smith. 
Henry  Smith. 
Mr.  Israel  Stoughton. 
George  Strange. 
Thomas  Swift. 
Thomas  Thornton. 
John  Tilley. 
Joseph  Twitcheli. 
Bray  Wilkins. 
David  Wilton. 
John  Witcbfield 

[Whitfield]. 
Henry  Wright. 


Besides  the  riglit  of  suffrage,  the  freemen  enjoyed  ad- 
vantages in  the  division  of  the  lands,  and  were  members  of 
the  General  Court  until  the  representative  system  began. 

Some  of  the  Dorchester  settlers  returned  to  England,^ 
the  Southcotes  among  others ;  but  the  numerous  arrivals 
from  Europe  caused  the  population  of  the  town  to  take 
rapid  strides.  Great  pains  were  taken  to  examine  into 
the  character  and  morals  of  all  those  who  offered  them- 
selves as  emigrants  to  Massachusetts  from  England,  and 
no  one  was  received  who  arrived  without  the  proper 
testimonials.^ 

Dorchester  attracted  the  attention  of  authors  as  early  as 
1633 ;  for  Wood,  writing  at  that  date,  says,  in  his  "  New 
England's  Prospect,"  — 

I  Prince's  Annals,  p.  246.        ^  Governor  Winthrop's  Journal,  p.  38. 


1635.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  41 

"  Sixe  miles  further  to  the  North,  lieth  Dorchefter ;  which 
is  the  greateft  Towue  in  New  England;  well  woodded  and 
watered ;  very  good  arable  grounds,  and  Hay-ground,  faire 
Corue-fields,  and  pleafaut  Gardens,  with  Kitchin-gardens :  In 
this  plantation  is  a  great  many  Cattle,  as  Kine,  Goats,  and 
Swine.  This  plantation  hath  a  reasonable  Harbour  for  fhips ; 
here  is  no  Alewife-river,  which  is  a  gieat  inconvenience.  The 
inhabitants  of  this  towne,  were  the  firft  that  fet  upon  the  trade  of 
fifhing  in  the  Bay,  who  received  fo  much  fruite  of  their  laboui's, 
that  they  encouraged  others  to  the  fame  undertakings."  ' 

In  1654  Johnson  writes,  — 

"  The  forme  of  this  Towne  is  almoft  like  a  Serpent,  turning 
her  head  to  the  North-ward  ;  over  againft  Tompfons  Ifland, 
and  the  Caftle  her  body  and  wings  being  chiefly  built  on,  are 
filled  fomewhat  thick  of  Houfes,  onely  that  one  of  her  Wings  is 
dipt,  her  Tayle  being  of  fuch  a  large  extent  that  fhee  can  hardly 
draw  it  after  her;  Her  Houfes  for  dwelling  are  about  one  hun- 
dred and  forty,  Orchards  and  Gardens  full  of  Fruit-trees, 
plenty  of  Corne-Land,  although  much  of  it  hath  been  long  in 
tillage,  yet  hath  it  ordinarily  good  crops,  the  number  of  Trees 
are  neare  upon  1500.  Cowes  and  other  Cattell  of  that  kinde 
about  450.'"^ 

Nine  years  later,  Josselyn,  making  his  second  voyage  to 
New  England,  confii-ms  the  statements  of  the  other  writers 
when  he  says,  — 

"  Six  miles  beyond  Braintree^  lyeth  Dorchefter^  a  frontire  Town 
pleafantly  feated,  and  of  large  extent  into  the  main  land,  well 
watered  with  two  fmall  Rivers,  her  body  and  wings  filled  fome- 
what thick  with  houfes  to  the  number  of  two  hundred  and  more, 
beautified  with  fair  Orchards  and  Gardens,  having  alfo  plenty 
of  Corn-land,  and  ftore  of  Cattle,  counted  the  greateft  Town 
heretofore  in  New-England,  but  now  gives  way  to  Bofton,  it 
hath  a  Harbour  to  the  North  for  Ships."* 

1  New  England's  rrospect,  p.  41  (1635). 

2  Wonder-working  Providence,  1st  ed.,  4to,  p.  41. 
'  The  present  Quincy. 

*  Two  Voyages  to  New-England,  p.  160  (1675). 


42  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1636. 

The  year  1636  was  unusually  eventful.  After  the  de- 
parture of  the  Windsor  comjjany,  Governor  Winthrop  says  : 

"  There  was  an  essay  towards  gathering  a  new  church  in 
Dorchester  (April  1),  hut  as  the  messengers  of  the  churches 
convened  for  the  purpose  were  not  satisfied  concerning  some 
that  were  intended  members  of  that  foundation,  the  work  was 
deferred  until  August  23,  when  a  church  was  constituted  accord- 
ing to  the  order  of  the  Gospel,  by  confession  and  profession  of 
faith,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Richard  Mather  was  chosen  teacher." 

Writing  of  Dorchester  events  for  this  year,  Winthrop 
also  records  the  fact  that  — 

"  At  a  court  holden  at  Dorchester  this  year,  it  was  ordered 
that  every  town  should  keep  a  watch  and  be  well  supplied  with 
ammunitiou.  The  constables  were  directed  to  warn  the  watches 
in  their  turns,  and  to  make  it  their  care  that  they  should  be 
kept  according  to  the  direction  of  the  court.  They  also  were 
required  to  take  care  that  the  inhabitants  were  well  furnished 
with  arms  and  ammunition,  and  kept  in  a  constant  state  of 
defence.  As  these  infant  settlements  were  filled  and  sur- 
rounded with  numerous  savages,  the  people  conceived  them- 
selves in  danger  when  the^'  lay  down  and  when  they  rose  up, 
when  they  went  out  and  when  they  came  in  Their  circum- 
stances were  such,  that  it  was  judged  necessary  for  every  man 
to  he  a  soldier."  ' 

The  Pequot  Indians  had  never  been  friendly  with  the 
settlers,  and  affairs  came  to  a  crisis  during  this  year, 
when  Captain  Oldham  was  murdered  by  the  savages  on 
Block  Island.  In  order  to  prevent  further  atrocities,  four 
companies  were  raised,  commanded  by  Captain  John 
Underbill,  Captain  Nathaniel  Turner,  Ensign  William 
Jennison,  and  Ensign  Richard  Davenport.  Governor 
Endicott  was  commander-in-chief  of  the  expedition.  This 
was  the  first  serious  warfare  that  occurred  after  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Colony,  and  Dorchester  was  deeply  interested 

1  Governor  Wintlirop's  Journal,  p.  5G. 


1636.]  COLONIAI,   TIMES.  43 

in  the  event.  The  Peqiiots  were  scattered,  and  much  of 
their  property  destroyed,  but  little  good  was  accomplished. 
The  records  for  this  year  show  that  a  military  com- 
pany was  permanently  organized,  with  Israel  Stoughton  in 
command,  Nathaniel  Duncan  and  John  Holman  serving  as 
lieutenant  and  ensign,  respectively. 

It  is  impossible  to  read  the  story  of  this  people  with- 
out being  impressed  with  the  great  amount  of  common- 
sense  and  practical  wisdom  they  displayed  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  the  Colony,  not  only  adapting  it  to  their 
immediate  needs,  but  also,  looking  far  ahead  with  remark- 
able foresight,  builcUng  for  succeeding  generations.  One 
of  the  best  examples  of  this  is  the  work  of  those  to 
whom  the  duty  of  keeping  the  Town  Records  was  in- 
trusted. The  Record  Book  is  not  only  valuable  because 
of  its  interest  as  an  authentic  account  of  those  early  days, 
but  it  has  been  often  referred  to  in  order  to  settle 
questions  concerning  appropriations  of  land,  laying  out 
the  town  and  country  roads,  original  grants,  mill  privileges, 
assignments,  and  especially  in  regard  to  the  boundaries 
of  the  town.  In  1879,  ten  years  after  becoming  a  part  of 
Boston,  the  city  government,  in  response  to  a  petition 
signed  by  several  of  Dorchester's  most  prominent  citizens, 
authorized  the  Record  Commissioners  to  print  the  first 
volume  of  the  "  Dorchester  Town  Records," —  thus  pre- 
serving for  posterity  these  most  valuable  documents. 

This  Record  Book  begins  January  16,  1632,  and  is  the 
first  of  any  town  records  in  Massachusetts.  It  contains 
accounts  of  the  transactions  of  the  plantation  and  town 
down  to  1720,  covering  some  six  hundred  and  thii-ty-six 
pages,  of  which  four  are  missing.  These  probably  traced 
the  proceedings  from  the  beginning  of  the  settlement. 
Most  of  this  book  is  devoted  to  regulations  required  for 
the  laying  out  of  the  town,  and  there  is  little  of  general 
historical   interest.      Entries   previous   to   the   year   1636 


44 


GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER. 


were  probably  made  by  oue  of  the  clergymen  or  deacons, 
but  in  that  year  Nathaniel  Duncan,  one  of  the  twelve 
selectmen,  was  voted  ten  shillings  for  copying  the  orders 
of  the  town ;  and  it  is  likely  that  he  continued  to  do 
this  until  liis  removal  to  Boston  in  1645.  From  this  time, 
until  1656,  the  entries  were  probably  made  by  Robert 
Howard,  Deacon  John  Wiswall,  and  Edward  Breck, 
selectmen  of  the  town.  William  Blake  was  chosen 
recorder,  or  town  clerk,  in  1656 ;  and  from  that  time  a 
person  was  employed  especially  to  keep  the  Town 
Records.  It  is  said  that  a  book  once  existed  which  con- 
tained a  plot  of  the  town,  with  lots  and  the  names  of 
grantees  from  the  beginning ;  but  no  trace  of  it  can  now 
be  found. 

It  is  from  the  Town  Records,  also,  that  we  obtain  the 
names  of  the  grantees  of  Dorchester  lands.  The  follow- 
ing list  includes  all  the  first  settlers  whose  names  are 
found  on  the  Records  previous  to  January,  1636,  except 
those  which  may  have  been  on  the  two  missing  pages. 
Those  mentioned  in  preceding  lists  are  omitted :  — 


John  Allen. 
Thomas  Andrews. 
Thomas  Bascomb. 
John  Bursley. 
Bray  Clarke. 
Robert  Elwell. 
Richard  Fry. 
Joseph  Flood. 
Humplirey  Gallop. 
John  Gilbert. 
John  Glover. 
John  Goite  [Goyt]. 
Nathaniel  Hall. 
AVilliam  Ilannum. 
John  Hayden. 
Mr.  Jno.  Hill. 
John  Holland. 
Joseph  Holley. 


John  Holman. 
Mr.  Johnson. 
Richard  Jones. 
Thomas  Jones. 
Thomas  Kinnersly 

[Kimberly]. 
John  Knight. 
Capt.  William  Lovell. 
Roger  Ludlow. 
Thomas  Makepeace. 
Thomas  Marshfield. 
Ale.xander  Miller. 
John  Miller. 
Edmund  INIunnings. 
John  Niles. 
George  Phelps. 
Williams  Phelps. 
Mr.  Pincheon. 


Humphrey  Pinney. 
Andrew  Pitcher. 
William  Preston. 
David  Price. 
George  Procter. 
AVidow  Purchase. 
Edward  Raynsford. 
Thomas  Richards. 
Richard  Rocket. 
Hugh  Rosseter. 
Thomas  Sanford. 
William  Sumner. 
Thomas  Tileston. 
Francis  Tuthill. 
Joshua  Tuthill. 
Henry  AA'ay. 


1636.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  45 

It  is  not  definitely  known  by  what  method  the  lands 
were  distributed  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  town,  but 
it  is  probable  that  the  private  means  and  the  size  of  the 
families  were  taken  into  consideration.  Several  of  the 
largest  landholders  were  those  who  held  stock  in  England 
under  the  patent.  Each  stockholder  to  the  amount  of 
fifty  pountls  was  entitled  to  an  immediate  dividend  of 
two  hundred  acres,  a  "  home  lot "  in  America,  and  fifty 
acres  for  each  member  of  his  family.  Those  who  did  not 
possess  stock  could  claim  fifty  acres  for  the  head  of  the 
family,  and  as  much  more  as  the  governor  and  council 
might  award.  Fifty  acres  were  to  be  given  to  the  master 
for  every  servant  transported  to  the  Colony. 

Before  sailing  for  America  the  colonists  had  determined 
that  for  purposes  of  mutual  protection  they  must  build 
closely  together,  and  this  decision  was  wisely  adhered  to. 
A  cei'tain  amount  of  territory  was  laid  out  into  four,  six, 
and  eight  acre  house  lots,  and  larger  grants  were  made 
elsewhere  for  farming  purposes. 

The  following  list  of  grantees  of  meadow  lands  in 
Dorchester,  copied  from  vol.  i.  p.  31,  of  the  original 
Dorchester  Records,  gives  the  reader  a  good  idea  of  the 
system  employed :  — 

The  Map  of  the  Meddows  beyond  the  Naponset  riuer  and  how  y'  is 
allotted  out. 


1   Squantoms 

15  M'  Johnson     6  a. 

2  Mr.  Hill  6  D. 

16  J:  Eales     4  a. 

3  Jo  Phil  [ips?j 

17  Nich  Vpshal     8  a. 

4  M"^  Duncan     4  acres 

Ikl'  Newbury     v  hows 

5  Marshfeild     5  a 

18  Caping     C  a. 

[6]  George  Way     8  acr 

19  Swift     4  a. 

[7]               Hall     4  a. 

20  J.  Gaping     2  a. 

[8]  J.  Knill     2  a. 

21  J.  Walcot  [?]     2  a. 

[9]  R.  Calicot     8  a. 

22  Jo:  Pierce     4  a. 

10  M'  Purchas     2  a. 

23  M'  Waru     6  a. 

11  M'  Richards     12  a. 

24  M'  Maverick 

12  J.  Barber     2  a.         ( 

Mata- 

25  Jos:  Holy     4  a. 

13  Stev.  ffrench     4  a.   - 

chuset 

26  Tho  Jefreys     3  a. 

14  M'  Hill     5  a.             ( 

Rock. 

27  Roger  Clap     3  a. 

GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTEE. 


[1637. 


M'  Way  had  marsh  out  other 
sides  of  that  SI'  Tery. 

60  J.  Wichfeild    4  a. 

61  M'  Hosford     2  a. 

62  M'  Sention     2  a. 

63  J.  Hull     6  a. 

64  T.  Dewis    4  a. 

65  T.  Holcom     3  a. 

66  G.  Phillips     5  a. 

67  M'  Hulbert     6  a. 

68  J.  Heyden     3  a. 

69  Mathews     3  a. 

70  Grenway     3  a. 

71  M'  Holman 

72  M'  Parker     4  a. 

73  Ca[pt.]  Mason     6  a. 

74  R.  Elwel     3 

75  W.  Rockwel     4  a. 

-f-  aboue  jM'  Roseiter  ioyning  to 
him  M'  wolcot  14  a.  next  m' 
wolcot 

76  w.  Gaylor     6  a. 

77  T.  Hach     2  a. 

78  Henery  Fooks     8  a. 

79  T.  Tilestone     3  a. 

80  Nuton     2  a. 

81  ancient  Stoughton     6  a. 

this  runs  vp  between  the  highe 
land  &  m'  Roseiter 

82  John  Hill     4  a. 

83  M  Tillie    4  a. 

84  Elias  Parkraan     4  a. 

85  El:  Pomery     6  a. 

;e       M   Stoughton     16  a. 


28  M'  Smith     4  a. 

29  C.  Gibson     2  a, 

30  War.  (Hler     6  a. 

31  G.  Gibbs    4  a. 

32  J. 

33  N.  gillet     4  a. 

34  Holland     3  a. 

35  M'  Hull     4  a. 

36  T.  J.  more     4  a. 

37  6  a. 
[3]8  G.  Dyer     4  a. 

39  Eales,     2  a. 

40  W.  Philps     6  a. 

41  Hanna     2  a. 

42  M'  Piney     10  a. 

43  Denslow     3  a. 

44  Wilton     5  a. 

45  Meinot     4  a. 

46  Pope     4  a. 

47  M'  Hathorne 

48  Picher     4  [a] 

49  Rocket     4  a. 
[50]  Rositer 
61   Lumbert     6  a 

52  M'  Egleston     4  a 

53  Hart     4  a 

54  M'  Branker. 

55  T  [?]  Hull     6  [a] 

56  venner  [V]     6  [a] 

57  Brins[mead] 

58  H  way 

59  M'Tery     12  [a] 
the  next  wilbe  out  of  order 
j^    a  rock  poynting  to  the 

All  the  undivided  and  unallotted  land  extending  from 
the  Blue  Hills  to  the  Plymouth  line  Avas  given  in  1637  to 
the  town  of  Dorchester,  the  grant  being  confii-med  by  the 
General  Court  in  1720.  This  contained  over  forty  thousand 
acres  of  land,  and  was  commonly  called  by  the  English  the 
land  "  beyond  the  Blue  Hills,"  and  after  1707  was  known 
as  the  "  New  Grant." 


1637.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  47 

The  association  known  as  the  "  Dorchester  Proprietors  " 
were  the  owners  of  the  wild  lands  in  that  territory  now 
comprising  the  towns  of  Stoughton,  Sharon,  and  Canton, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Ponkapoag  Plantation.  A  later 
historian  says,  — 

"  Until  late  iu  the  seventeenth  century  these  lands  were  unin- 
habited ;  and  to  whomsoever  they  were  assigned  or  sold,  such 
persons  became  the  lawful  owners.  Thus  was  established  a 
system  of  small  freeholds,  which  was  to  be  a  distinguishing 
feature  in  the  landed  history  of  oui'  country.  The  occupants 
of  these  farms  paid  no  annual  tribute,  as  did  their  ancestors  in 
Old  England,  to  some  great  proprietor, — some  'Earl  of  Pun- 
capog,'  as  the  Rev.  Thomas  Prince  facetiously  called  himself 
when  a  boy,  —  but  were  independent.  Thus  was  created  a  love 
of  freedom,  and  a  capacity  of  self-government  developed,  which 
was  in  after  years  to  bear  a  rich  and  abundant  fruit.  Massa- 
poag  Brook,  or  the  '  East  Branch  of  the  Neponset,'  running 
through  the  centre  of  South  Canton  Village,  was  the  dividing 
line  between  the  Ponkapoag  Plantation  and  the  land  of  the  Dor- 
chester proprietors.  The  place  where  Washington  Street  crosses 
this  stream  is  nearly  identical  with  the  spot  where  the  old  road 
from  Milton  line  to  Billings'  tavern,  in  Sharon,  crossed  it, 
probably  as  early  as  1650.  At  any  rate,  this  road  was  in 
existence  long  before  any  lauds  were  laid  out  iu  the  Dorchester 
South  Precinct,  or  any  person  had  received  his  estate  in 
severalty."^ 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Dorchester  was  chosen  by 
the  early  settlers  on  account  of  the  abundant  pasturage 
Great  Neck  (South  Boston)  afforded  for  their  cattle. 
This  was  for  many  years  the  common  pasture  for  the  cows 
of  the  Colony,  and  persons  were  ajipointed  to  drive  them 
back  and  forth  each  morning  and  night.  New  settlers 
brought  cows  with  them,  and  at  length  the  Great  Neck 
became  too  small;  so  other  arrangements  had  to  be  made 
for  pasturage.     In  16-37,  therefore,  it  was  ordered  that  — 

1  History  of  Canton,  p.  6  (1893). 


48  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1638. 

"All  that  have  Cowes  shall  put  them  to  the  Keepers  to  be 
kept  ill  the  ordinary  Cow  pasture/  and  none  to  be  put  away  at 
the  Necke  of  laud  or  keepe  them  otherwise  about  the  Towne  or 
from  the  heard,  one  payne  of  10s.  for  [such]  offending."  - 

The  General  Court  passed  a  law  in  1638  concerning 
tobacco,  which  caused  no  little  excitement.  This  law  read 
as  follows :  — 

"  This  Court,  finding  that  since  the  repealing  of  the  former 
laws  against  tobacco,  the  same  is  more  abused  than  before,  it 
hath  therefore  ordered  that  no  man  shall  take  any  tobacco  in 
the  feilds,  except  in  his  iourney,  or  at  meale  times,  vpon  pain 
of  12d  for  every  offence ;  nor  shall  take  any  tobacco  in  (or  so 
near)  any  dweling  house,  barue,  corne  or  hay  rick,  as  may  likely 
indanger  the  fireing  thereof,  vpon  paine  of  x'  for  every  offence ; 
nor  shall  take  any  tobacco  in  any  inne  or  coiiiou  victualing 
house,  except  in  a  private  roome  there,  so  as  neither  the  master 
of  the  same  house  nor  any  other  guests  there,  shall  take  offence 
thereat ;  w°''  if  they  do,  then  such  gson  is  fourthw""  to  for- 
beare,  vpon  paine  of  2'  6*  for  every  offence."  ^ 

During  the  summer  of  this  year,  Wintlu-op  tells  us, 
"  There  come  over  twenty  ships,  and  at  least  three  thou- 
sand persons,  so  as  they  were  forced  to  look  out  new 
plantations." 

The  Church  was  called  upon  to  exercise  its  correcting 
power  this  year.  "  Mr.  Ambrose  Martin,  for  calling  the 
Church  Covenant  a  stinking  carrion,  and  a  human  inven- 
tion, and  saying,  he  wondered  at  God's  patience,  feared 
it  would  end  in  the  sharj),  and  said  the  ministers  did 
dethrone  Christ  and  set  up  tliemselves ;  he  was  fined  ^10, 
and  counselled  to  go  to  Mr.  iMather  to  be  instructed."  A 
vote  was  also  passed  informing  Mr.  Thomas  Makepeace 
that  "  because  of  his  novel  disposition,  we  were  weary  of 
him  unless  he  reforme." 

1  A  large  tract  of  undivided  land  lying  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Upper  Mills. 

2  Dorchester  Town  Records,  p.  22  (1879). 

3  Records  of  Massachusetts,  vol.  i.  p.  241  (1853.) 


1639.]  COLOKIAL   TIMES.  49 

Before  long  Thompson's  Island  proved  to  be  an  object 
of  conflict  between  Dorchester  and  Boston.  This  was 
supposed  to  have  been  first  occupied  bj'  David  Thompson, 
a  Scotcliman,  who  was  sent  over  with  others  to  Piscataqua 
(now  Portsmouth)  by  Gorges  and  Mason,  the  year  before, 
to  establish  a  factory  at  that  place ;  but  later  evidence  goes 
to  prove  that  William  Trevour  preceded  him.  Thompson 
had  become  acquainted  with  this  island  during  a  trip  to 
PljTuouth,  and,  leaving  Piscataqua,  he  took  up  his  abode 
upon  it  six  years  before  the  Bay  was  settled.  After  the 
Colony  became  fully  established,  he  procured  a  confu-ma- 
tion  of  his  title  to  the  island  from  the  General  Court. 
Among  the  archives  of  Salem  is  found  the  following 
cui'ious  deposition  concerning  the  island:  — 

I,  Saggamore  of  Aggawam,  testify  that  in  the  yeare  1619  or 
thereabouts  as  I  remember,  I  went  in  my  owne  person  with  Mr. 
David  Thompson,  and  then  he  took  possession  of  the  Hand 
before  Dorchester,  he  likeing  no  other  but  that  because  of  the 
smale  Riuer,  and  then  no  Indians  upon  it  or  any  Wigwam  or 
planting,  nor  hath  been  by  any  Eudians  inhabitted  or  claymed 
since,  but  two  years  agoe  by  Harmben,  au  old  Endiau  of 
Dorchester.  "Witness  my  hand,  this  13th  of  July,  before  Mr. 
Greenleafe,  1620/50. 

Witness,  Edmund  Greenleafe. 

Sagamore ^-'-'of  Aggawam. 

In  1635  the  General  Court  granted  this  island  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Dorchester,  and  four  years 
later  the  town  voted  to  lay  a  tax  of  .£20  upon  the  propri- 
etors of  this  island  "for  the  maintenance  of  a  school  in 
Dorchester."  Those  who  paid  rent  numbered  one  hundred 
and  twenty  ^^ersons,  including  the  principal  part  of  the 
adult  male  inhaljitants.  This,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained, 
was  the  fii-st  pul^lic  provision  made  for  a  free  school  in 
America  by  a  direct  tax  or  assessment  on  the  inhal)itants 
of  the  town. ' 

1  See  p.  200. 


50  GOOD   OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1639. 

When  John  Thompson,  the  sou  of  the  original  occupant, 
became  of  age,  he  sent  in  a  petition  to  the  General  Court, 
asking  that  the  island  be  granted  to  him,  on  the  ground  of 
inheritance.  This  petition  was  granted,  and  the  property- 
passed  out  of  the  hands  of  Dorchester.  The  peoj^le  felt 
that  they  had  not  received  justice  in  the  matter,  so  they  in 
turn  sent  a  petition  to  the  General  Coui't,  asking  that 
another  island  be  granted  to  them  to  assist  in  maintaining 
the  free  school.  The  result  of  this  was  that  a  grant  of 
one  thousand  acres  of  wild  land  was  given  to  make  up  for 
the  loss  of  the  island. 

In  1639,  also,  an  order  was  given  by  the  Court  to  mount 
guns  on  Rock  Hill.  This  was  undoubtedly  what  is  now 
called  Savin  Hill,  although  some  authorities  have  des- 
ignated Meeting-House  Hill  as  the  site.  Savin  Hill, 
however,  is  much  better  suited  for  a  fortification,  as  it 
commands  the  mouth  of  the  Neponset,  the  bay,  and  the 
passage  to  the  hill  by  land.  The  southerly  point  of  Savin 
Hill,  on  the  flat  rock,  would  have  been  an  excellent  place 
to  locate  the  artillery. 

A  law  passed  by  the  Court  this  year  concerning  super- 
fluities, caused  great  excitement  among  the  settlers,  and 
soon  became  famous.  It  is  interesting  enough  to  quote 
the  text :  — 

"Whereas  there  is  much  complaint  of  the  excessive  wearhig 
of  lace,  &  other  superfluities  tending  to  little  vse  or  benefit,  but 
to  the  nourishing  of  pride  &  exhausting  of  mens  estates,  & 
also  of  e%ale  example  to  others,  it  is  therefore  ordered  by  this 
Court,  &  decreed,  that  henceforward  no  person  whatsoever 
shall  psume  to  sell  or  buy  w"'iu  this  iurisdictiou,  any  manner  of 
lace  to  bee  worne  or  vsed  w"'in  o"'  limits.  And  that  no  tayF, 
or  any  other  person  whatsoever,  shall  hereafter  set  any  lace,  or 
points  vpon  any  garments,  either  liunen,  woUen,  or  any  other 
wearing  cloathes  whatsoever,  &  that  no  gson  hearafter  shall  be 
iniployed  in  making  of  any  manner  of  lace,  but  such  as  they 
shall  sell  to  such  persons  as  shall  &  will  transport  the  same  out 


1639.]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  51 

of  this  iurisdiction,  who,  iu  such  case,  shall  have  liberty  to  buy 
the  same :  And  that  hearafter  uo  garment  shalbee  made  w* 
short  sleeves,  whereby  the  nakedness  of  the  arme  may  bee 
discovered  in  the  wearing  thereof ;  &  such  as  have  garments 
already  made  w""  short  sleeves  shall  not  hearafter  wear  the 
same,  vnless  they  cover  their  amies  to  the  wrist,  w""  liuueu,  or 
otherwise  :  And  that  hearafter  no  person  whatsoever  shall  make 
any  garment  for  weomen,  or  any  of  ther  sex,  w""  sleeves  moi-o 
thauhalfe  an  elle  wide  iu  the  widest  place  thereof,  &  so  propor- 
tionable for  biger  or  smaller  persons. 

"And  for  psent  reformation  of  iinoderate  great  sleeves,  & 
some  other  superfluities,  w"^*"  may  easily  bee  redressed  w"'out 
much  piudice,  or  the  spoile  of  garments,  as  iinoderate  great 
breches,  knots  of  rybau,  broad  shoulder  bands,  &  rayles,  silk 
rases,  double  ruffes,  &  cuffes,  etc." ' 

The  centre  of  the  town  was  first  laid  out  in  the  vicinity 
of  Pond  and  Cottage  Streets.  The  fii-st  road  in  the  town 
was  that  which  ran  from  the  meeting-house,  on  the  corner 
of  Cottage,  Pleasant,  and  Pond  Streets,  to  Rock  Hill.  A 
part  of  this  road  now  exists  as  Pleasant  Street,  and  the 
remainder  as  Savin  Hill  Avenue.  Another  began  at 
the  same  place,  and  ran  west  to  the  Five  Corners,  and  east 
to  the  Calves'  Pasture,  now  known  as  Pond  Street  and 
Crescent  Avenue.  This  ran  northeast  from  the  Five 
Corners,  in  the  direction  of  the  Great  Neck,  and  had  a  gate 
at  its  entrance  ;  it  is  now  known  as  Boston  Street.  From 
Pond  Street  a  road  curved  around  by  the  houses  of 
William  T.  Andrews  and  Richard  Clapp,  which  the  town 
voted  to  discontinue  in  1858.  It  was  called  Chestnut 
Street,  and  on  it  lived  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  Roger 
Williams,  and  others.  The  present  Cottage  Street,  leading 
from  the  meeting-house  to  the  Five  Corners,  Humphreys 
Street,  and  Dudley  Street,  over  which  the  Dorchester 
settlers  travelled  to  Roxbury  and  Boston,  were  also  laid 
out.      The   present   Stoughton,    Hancock,    and    Pleasant 

'  Records  of  Massachusetts,  vol.  i.  p.  274  (1853). 


52  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEK.  [1639. 

Streets  were  formerly  a  road  laid  out  around  Jones's  Hill, 
from  which  a  road  led  to  Stoughton  Mill.  This  is  now 
Adams  Street.  From  tliis  street  a  road  led  to  the  Penny 
Ferry,  and  this  is  now  known  as  Marsh  Street. 

This  arrangement  kept  the  inhabitants  closely  together, 
and  gave  a  road  around  several  comparatively  small  pieces 
of  land.  Care  was  taken  to  keep  the  right  of  way  to  the 
sea  and  to  the  marshes,  so  that  hay  could  be  easily 
obtained.  A  grant  made  July  5,  1636,  concerning  this, 
is  important,  because  it  is  of  earlier  date  than  that 
which  declared  of  what  the  riparian  rights  should  consist. 
The  record  reads  as  follows  :  — 

"  It  is  grauuted  to  M^  Ludlow,  ^r.  Hill,  and  the  neighbours 
that  haue  lotts  with  them,  that  [they]  may  ruu  a  pale  downe 
Into  the  sea  at  the  Comer  by  M^  Ludlowes,  and  an  other 
betweene  M^  Hill  and  John  Eales,  for  the  securing  the  Corne, 
and  saving  of  much  fensiug,  p'vided  they  leave  stiles  and  gates 
for  p'sous  and  cattle,  when  p'sons  are  disposed  to  travell  or 
drive  Cattle  or  swiue  that  way  to  Clamming."^ 

Our  present  laws  on  this  subject  depend  on  the  order 
passed  in  1641. 

Rock  Hill,  referred  to  above,  was  known  as  "  Rocky 
Hill "  dm-ing  the  first  hundi-ed  years  of  the  settlement, 
and  later  it  was  called  "  Old  Hill,"  because  it  was  here 
that  tlie  first  inhabitants  settled.  Joseph  Tuttle  gave  it 
the  modern  name  of  "  Savin  Hill,"  when  he  came  into 
possession  of  the  old  Wiswell  estate  in  1822.  This  he 
made  into  a  seaside  or  country  hotel,  which  was  the  fu'st 
hotel  of  this  kind  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  The  name 
"  Savin "  is  the  scientific  name  of  the  red  cedar  with 
which  this  locality  was  covered. 

Many  of  the  most  distinguished  of   the  early  settlers 

selected  Rock  Hill,  or  Savin  Hill,  as  we  may  now  call  it, 

for  the  location  of  their  residences.      One  of   the  most 

prominent  of  these  was  Roger  Ludlow,  the  brother-in-law 

1  Dorchester  Town  Records,  p.  19  (1879). 


1639.]  COLONIAL   TLNffiS.  55 

of  Governor  Endicott,  and  "assistant"  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Company,  who  was  chosen  Deputy-Governor  in  1634. 
When  Ludlow  arrived  in  the  new  country,  coming  from 
Oki  Dorchester,  in  Dorsetshire,  he  had  already  reached 
middle  age,  and,  as  a  stockholder  in  the  Massachusetts 
Company,  was  possessed  of  some  property.  He  was 
chosen  "  assistant,"  or  director,  in  London,  before  the  little 
company  of  emigrants  set  sail,  and  he  embarked  from 
Devon  on  the  "  Mary  and  John "  with  the  others.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  colonial  government,  and  wliile  his 
extensive  duties  prevented  liim  from  taking  active  part  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Dorchester  plantation,  he  had  great 
influence  with  the  early  settlers.  His  name  appears  in  the 
Dorchester  Records  only  as  a  grantee  of  laud. 

In  his  religious  views,  Ludlow  belonged  to  the  Puritan 
school,  but  was  unfortunate  in  the  possession  of  two  char- 
acteristics which  destroyed  whatever  popularity,  he  miglit 
have  attained,  —  a  violent  temper,  and  an  inordinate  ambi- 
tion. His  great  disappointment  in  not  being  elected 
governor  in  1635  caused  him  to  protest  the  election  of 
Winthrop ;  and  this  so  offended  the  freemen  that  they  left 
him  eutirely  out  of  the  magistracy.  This  was  more  than 
his  proud  nature  could  endure,  so  he  joined  the  party 
which  emigrated  to  Windsor,  Connecticut,  not  long  after- 
ward. Here  Ludlow  at  once  took  a  leading  j^art  in  the 
affairs,  presiding  at  the  first  court  of  magistrates,  which 
was  held  at  Hartford,  April  26,  1636.  He  also  served  as 
Deputy-Governor  until  1639,  when  he  removed  to  Fairfield, 
in  the  New  Haven  Colony.  Some  years  later  he  had  a 
dispute  with  the  government  of  the  Colony  concerning  the 
affairs  of  the  Dutch  war,  and  as  a  result  he  left  New 
England  forever.     He  is  said  to  have  died  in  Virginia. 

Ludlow's  Dorchester  house  was  built  on  the  south 
side  of  the  hill  on  Savin  Hill  Avenue,  at  the  corner  of 
Bath  Avenue,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most  substantial 
in   the   town,  —  standing  until  1730.      When    the   testy 


o  vxolS    ^  4-  £a,?v-  A7^ 


56  GOOD   OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1639. 

Deputy-Governor  left   Dorchester,  he   sold  liis   estate   to 
Captain   Thomas    Hawkins,    who   from    this    time   seems 

to  have  taken  a 
jirominent  posi- 
tion in  the  town. 
He  was  one  of 
the  freemen  of  Dorchester,  and  a  member  of  the  artillery 
■company.  Captain  Hawkins  was  a  ship-builder  and  navi- 
gator by  profession,  and  a  large  landholder  in  Dorchester. 
The  southerly  part  of  Harrison  Square  once  bore  the  title 
of  "  Captain's  Neck,"  or  "  Hawkins'  Neck  ;  "  and  a  small 
stream,  which  crossed  the  present  Columbia  Street,  was 
named  "  Hawkins'  Brook,"  in  his  honor.  After  his  death, 
in  1648,  Mrs.  Hawkins  sold  the  property  to  Jolni  Gornell ; 
and  thus  the  Ludlow  estate  again  changed  hands.  After 
passing  through  the  possession  of  the  Masons  and  the 
Wiswells,  it  finally  fell  by  inheritance  to  the  children  of 
William  Worthington. 

Jolui  Eeles  owned  pro^Derty  on  the  north  side  of  the 
hill.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers,  and  also  one  of  the 
first  grantees  of  the  land  on  Rock  Hill.  When  he  removed 
to  Hingham,  his  laud  was  purchased  by  Nathaniel  Patten, 
another  prominent  man  among  the  first  inhabitants.  His 
property  was  on  the  border  of  the  cove  between  Savin 
Hill  and  Calves'  Pasture,  and  was  known  as  Patten's 
Cove  for  many  years  after  his  death.  As  Patten  died 
without  cliildi-en,  the  land  came  later  into  the  possession 
of  the  Robinson  family. 

Another  early  grantee  of  land  at  Rock  Hill  was  Richard 
Baker.  His  property  was  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the 
hill,  and  he  built  his  house  on  the  site  of  the  Tuttle  house, 
reference  to  wMch  has  already  been  made.  The  estate 
passed  through  the  hands  of  the  Wiswells  into  those  of 
the  Tuttles. 

Colonel  Israel  Stoughton's  house  was  situated  at  the 
northeast    corner   of    Savin    Hill   Avenue   and    Pleasant 


1641.] 


COLONIAL  TIMES.  67 


Street.  He  had  the  distinction  of  building  the  first  mill 
in  New  England  to  grind  uoiii  by  water.  It  stood  in  the 
Neponset  River,  •^vhere  Milton  now  is.  Colonel  Stoughton 
o-ained  his  title  from  his  command  of  the  Massachusetts 
forces  during  the  Pequot  War,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  of  the  early  inhabitants  of  Dorchester.  He 
served  as  representative  in  1634,  and  was  the  Governor's 
Assistant  for  many  years. 

Among  other  land-owners  on  Rock  Hill  the  records  give 
the  names  of  John  Hill,   Tho-     a      (J 
mas  Millett,  John  Phillips,  John     U^Vn.  ^h-iM.\JPS 
Wilson,  Richard  Leetls,  Michael  0  * 

Willis,  Richard  Curtice,  Jolin  Pierce,  George  Weeks,  and 
John  Greenaway.i 

The  old  residents  have  lost  none  of  their  pride  for  their 
liistorical  inheritance.  Edward  Everett  made  reference  to 
the  hill  in  his  Fourth  of  July  Oration,  delivered  at 
Dorchester  in  1855.     He  said,  — 

"  '  Old  Hill,'  as  we  called  it  in  the  days  of  my  boyhood, 
more  than  fifty  years  ago,  (it  has  lost  that  venerable  name  in 
the  progress  of  refinement,  though  it  has  become  a  half 
century  older.)  Notwithstanding  the  tasteful  villas  which  adorn 
its  base,  it  exhibits  substantially  the  same  grouping  of  cedars 
and  the  same  magnificent  rocks,  and  commands  the  same  fiue 
view  of  the  harbor  which  it  did  before  a  single  house  was 
built  within  its  precincts.  Venerable  trees  which  seemed  big  to 
me  in  my  childhood  seem  but  little  bigger  now,  though  I  can 
trace  the  storms  of  fifty  winters  on  some  of  then  well- 
recollected  branches." 

About  the  year  1641  Mr.  Jonathan  Burr  was  invited  to 
settle  in  Dorchester  as  Mr.  Mather's  assistant  in  the  mini- 
stry. During  the  preliminaries  a  heated  controversy 
broke  out,  similar  to  one  which  had  previously  occurred  in 
Boston,  Mr.  Burr  being  on  the  liberal  side.     The  whole 

'  Article  on  "  Old  Dorchester,"  bj'  James  H.  Stark,  Boston  Transcript, 
April  2, 1887. 

4 


58  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1642. 

town  was  deeply  inteiested  in  the  affaii,  wliich  was  finally 
settled  by  the  decision  of  the  Church  "  that  both  sides  had 
cause  to  be  humbled  for  their  failings,  for  which  they  were 
advised  to  set  a  day  apart  for  reconciliation." 

The  trouble  and  controversy  which  had  arisen  about 
wages  was  finally  settled  by  an  order  of  the  Court  passed 
March  15,  1642.  This  stipulated  that  common  laborers 
should  not  receive  more  than  28d  a  day,  and  that  from 
August  25  to  October  1  the  wages  should  not  exceed  15d 
a  day.  Further  reduction  was  made  between  October  1  and 
December  1,  as  the  order  made  it  unlawful  to  receive  more 
than  12d  a  day.  Wages  rose  again  to  15d,  between 
December  1  and  January  25. 

This  year  was  also  eventful,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
during  it  the  Dorchester  settlers  built  their  fij'st  shijj. 

The  records  of  1643  give  us  a  picture  of  our  forefathers 
which  we  should  be  glad  to  forget.  Their  actions,  though 
doubtless  meant  for  the  welfare  of  the  Colony,  appear 
indefensible  at  this  modern  day,  and  the  people  seem  to 
have  practised  the  very  traits  of  cruelty  and  injustice  from 
which  they  had  previously  suffered.  Miantonimo,  one  of 
the  most  high-minded  and  honorable  of  Indian  chiefs,  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Uncas,  the  chief  of  the  Mohegans,  and 
thi-ough  the  influence  of  the  Government  of  the  Massachu- 
setts Colony  was  killed  in  cold  blood.  Samuel  Gorton,  of 
Rhode  Island,  also  suffered  by  the  decrees  of  the  fathers. 
It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  his  crimes,  but  they 
appear  to  have  been  those  of  independence  and  liberality. 
He  was  imprisoned  at  Charlestown ;  and  his  seven  "  con- 
federates "  were  confined  in  seven  different  towns,  with 
irons  on  their  legs.  Francis  Weston  was  the  prisoner 
entrusted  to  Dorchester  for  safe  keeping. 

While  we  find  much  in  the  acts  of  our  ancestors  with 
which  we  cannot  sympathize,  we  can  but  admit  that  they 
displayed  a  remarkable  amount  of  wisdom  and  intelligence. 
This  was  probably  the  only  country  ever  colonized  which 


1643.]  COLONTAl,   TEVIES.  59 

did  not  have  conquest  and  greed  for  its  primary  object. 
The  methods  employed  may  be  stigmatized  as  cruel  and 
unwarranted,  but  they  were  aimed  at  the  malicious  and 
idle,  which  were  always  to  be  found  in  a  new  colony.  The 
forefathers  themselves  may  be  set  down  as  bigots,  fanatics, 
and  persecutors,  but  we  must  not  judge  them  by  the  stan- 
dards of  to-day.  Toleration  was  a  word  not  recognized  in 
those  early  days ;  and  when  we  see  the  tremendous  changes 
the  last  hundred  yeai-s  have  brought,  we  can  see  that  the 
judgment  of  two  hundi-ed  and  fifty  years  ago  could  not 
consistently  be  the  same  as  the  judgment  of  to-day. 

Castle  Island,  on  which  fortifications  had  been  erected, 
became  a  bui'den  to  the  town,  and  in  1643  a  vote  was 
passed  to  give  it  up,  "  being  weary  of  the  charge  of  main- 
taining "  it.  As  this  island  was  nearer  Dorchester  than  the 
other  to\vns,  South  Boston  then  being  within  its  limits,  it 
was  natural  that  the  town  should  pay  more  for  its  mainte- 
nance than  Roxbiuy,  Cambridge,  and  Watertown,  which 
united  with  Dorchester  in  fortifying  it.  The  island  was 
first  fortified  in  1633  with  mud  walls.  Captain  Roger  Clap 
tells  us  that  these  "  stood  divers  Years."  Captain  Clap  then 
continues :  "  First,  Capt.  Simpkins  was  Commander  thereof, 
and  after  liim  Lieut.  Monish,  for  a  little  space.  When 
the  3Iud  Walls  failed,  it  was  built  again  of  Pine  Trees  and 
Earth  ;  and  Capt.  Davenport  was  Commander.  When  that 
decayed,  which  was  within  a  little  Time,  there  was  a  small 
Castle  built  with  Brick  Walls,  and  had  three  Rooms  in  it ; 
a  dwelling  Room  below,  a  lodging  Room  over  it,  the  Gun 
Room  over  that,  wherein  stood  Six  very  good  Saker  Guns, 
and  over  it  upon  the  Top  TJiree  lesser  Guns."  ^ 

Hubbard  relates  a  curious  incident  which  happened  this 
year.     He  says :  — 

"On  the  18th  of  January,  there  were  sti'ange  sights  seen 
about  Castle  Island,  and  the  Governom-'s  Island  over  against  it, 

1  Memoirs  of  Captain  Roger  Clap,  p.  38  (1844). 


60  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1645. 

in  form  like  a  man,  that  would  sometimes  cast  flames  and  sparkles 
of  fii'e.  This  was  seen  about  eight  of  the  clock  iu  the  evening 
by  many.  About  the  same  time  a  voice  was  heard  between 
Boston  and  Dorchester  upon  the  water  in  a  dreadful  manner, 
crying  out  '  boy,  boy,  come  away,  come  away ; '  and  then  it 
shifted  suddenly  from  one  place  to  another,  a  great  distance, 
about  twenty  times.  About  fourteen  days  after,  the  same 
voice  was  heard  in  the  like  dreadful  manner ;  divers  sober 
persons  were  ear  witnesses  hereof,  at  both  times,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  town,  towards  Noddle's  Island." 

Tliis  account  seems  extraordinary,  when  the  well-known 
sobriety  and  veracity  of  our  forefathers  are  called  to  inind. 

The  year  1645  marks  another  important  era  in  the 
early  history  of  the  colonists.  Six  years  previously  the 
town  had  established  the  first  school  supported  by  the 
people,  and  now  it  took  another  step  forward  in  appointr 
ing  a  special  school  committee,  "•  which  evidently  had  no 
precedent  in  America,  but  which  has  been  fruitful  of 
results  wide-spread  and  of  great  importance."  ' 

These  "wardens  or  oiiseers  of  the  Schoole,"  as  they 
were  called,  consisted  of  three  persons,  Mr.  Howard,  Dea- 
con Wiswall,  and  Mr.  Atherton  being  the  first  to  serve  in 
this  capacity. 

In  1645,  also,  an  instrument  was  adopted  called  the 
"  Directory."  This  contained  many  regulations  wliich  the 
inhabitants  bound  themselves  to  observe  in  conducting 
their  town  meetings.  Some  of  these  regulations,  as  Blake 
tells  us,  were  that,  — 

"  Althings  should  be  aforehand  prepared  by  y'^  Selectmen, 
that  all  Votes  of  Importance  should  be  first  drawn  iu  writing 
and  have  2  or  3  distinct  Readings,  before  y^  Vote  was  called 
for.  That  every  man  should  haue  libertie  to  speak  his  mind 
meekly  and  without  noise ;  that  no  man  should  speak  when 
another  was  speaking ;    that   all   men   would  Countenance    & 

1  William  A.  Mowry,  Ph.  D. :  Historical  Address  at  Dorchester  Celebra- 
tion, 1889. 


1646.] 


COLONTAL   TLMES.  61 


Encoui-age  all  y'  Towu  Officers  in  y''  due  Execution  of 
their  Offices,  and  not  fault  or  Revile  them  for  doiug  their 
Duty,  &c."' 

This  Directory  was  read  at  the  opening  at  each  town 
meeting,  and  the  regulations  were  carefully  observed.  An 
order  was  also  passed  that  at  all  town  meetings  the  select- 
men were  to  appoint  one  of  themselves  to  he  moderator. 

Durino-  the  same  year  the  sum  of  £250  was  raised  to 
build  a  new  meeting-house  to  take  the  place  of  the  rude, 
thatched  first  meeting-house,  which  was  found  insufficient 
for  the  growing  demands  of  the  Plantation. 

The  settlers  are  accused  not  only  of  indifference  in 
regard  to  the  nefarious  slave-trade,  but  even  of  aiding 
and  abetting  the  traffic.  While  this  may  be  true  of  incU- 
viduals,  it  was  certainly  not  true  of  the  community,  as  the 
following  extract  from  the  records  of  the  Colony  for  1646 
will  show :  — 

"  The  Gen''all  CCte,  couceiviug  themselues  bound  by  y^  first 
opportunity  to  bear  witnes  against  y"  haynos  &  crying  sinu  of 
man  stealing,  as  also  to  pscribe  such  timely  redresse  for  what 
is  past,  &  such  a  law  for  y*  future  as  may  sufficiently  deterr 
all  oth''s  belonging  to  us  to  have  to  do  in  such  vile  &  most 
odious  courses,  iustly  abhored  of  all  good  &  iust  men,  do  order 
y'  y'^  negro  interpreter,  w""  oth"^  unlawfully  taken,  be  by  y"*  first 
oportunity  (at  y^  charge  of  y°  country  for  psent) ,  sent  to  his 
native  country  of  Ginny,  &  a  letter  w""  him  of  y"  indignation 
of  y*  Co'te  thereabouts,  &  iustice  hereof,  desireing  o''  honored 
GovV  would  please  put  to  this  order  in  execution."^ 

Rev.  John  Wilson,  Jr.,  was  settled  as  "  coadjutor  to  Rev. 
Richard  Mather,"  in  1649. 

As  might  be  expected  from  its  size  and  importance,  the 
town  of  Dorchester  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  old 
colonial  records.     Most  of   these  references  relate  to  the 

1  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  18  (1846). 

2  Records  of  Massachusetts,  vol.  ii.  p.  168  (1853). 


62  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK.  [1646. 

appointment  of  officers,  the  mending  of  roads,  the  settle- 
ment of  boundaries,  and  the  adjustment  of  disputes ;  but 
there  are  some  orders  of  the  court  which  are  of  special 
interest.  In  1630,  March  1,  the  following  entry  is  found : 
"  M'  Tho:  Stoughton,  constable  of  Dorchester,  is  ffyned 
v°  for  takeing  vpon  him  to  marry  Clem'  Briggs  and  Joane 
Allen,  &  to  be  imprisoned  till  hee  hath  pd  his  ffyne." 

The  claim  that  intemperance  and  poverty  are  connected 
was  evidently  believed  by  the  "  Court  holden  att  Boston, 
August  7th,  1632,"  at  which  session  this  order  was  passed: 
"It  is  ordered  that  the  remaind'  of  M"'  Aliens  stronge 
water,  being  estimated  aboute  2  gallands,  shalbe  deliued 
into  the  hands  of  the  deacons  of  Dorchest',  for  the  benefitt 
of  the  poore  there,  for  his  selling  of  it  dyv"  tymes  to  such 
as  were  drunke  w*  it,  hee  knowing  thereof." 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1632,  the  inhabitants  of 
Boston  were  granted  liberty  to  take  wood  from  Dorchester 
Neck  for  twenty  years,  but  the  land  was  still  to  remain  in 
the  possession  of  Dorchester.  Another  entry  proved  the 
military  importance  of  the  towTi,  for  in  1634  it  was  ordered 
that  "  Dorchesf  shall  haue  thi-ee  peeces  of  ordinances,  to 
ffortifie  themselues  withall,  one  di-ake  &  two  other  peeces, 
to  be  hadd  from  Charlton."  During  the  same  year  per- 
mission was  granted  to  the  Deputy-Governor  "  to  haue  his 
Indean  trayned  with  the  rest  of  the  company  at  Dorchester, 
&  to  shoote  at  fowle." 

The  Indians  living  within  the  limits  of  the  town  caused 
many  vexed  questions  to  arise  as  to  the  manner  in  wliich 
they  should  be  treated.  It  is  a  pleasant  duty,  however, 
to  record  the  fact  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
isolated  cases,  the  Dorchester  settlers  always  showed  them 
consideration  and  kindness.  John  Eliot,  "  the  Apostle  of 
the  Indians,"  did  much  to  create  friendly  relations,  and 
he  was  universally  loved  and  respected.  This  is  evinced 
by  the  following  letter,  which  relates  to  the  laying  out  of 
the  land  about  Ponkapoag  Pond :  — 


1646.]  COLONIAIi   TIMES.  65 

To  his  much  honored  and  respected  friend,  Major  Atherton, 
at  his  house  in  Dorchester,  these  p^sent 
Much  honored  and  beloved  in  the  Lord:  Though  our  poore 
Indians  are  much  molested  in  most  places  in  then-  meetings  in 
way  of  civilities,  yet  the  Lord  hath  put  it  into  your  hearts  to 
suffer  us  to  meet  quietly  at  Ponkipog,  for  w''  I  thank  God,  and 
am  grateful  to  yourselfe  and  all  the  good  people  of  Dorchester. 
And  now  that  our  meetings  may  be  the  more  comfortable  and 
pvarable,  my  request  is,  y'  you  would  please  to  further  these 
two  motions :  first,  y'  you  would  please  to  make  an  order  in 
your  towne,  and  record  it  in  your  Towne  record,  that  you 
approve  and  allow  y''  Indians  of  Ponkipog  there  to  sit  downe 
and  make  a  towne  and  to  inioy  such  accommodations  as  may 
be  competent  to  maintain  God's  ordinances  among  them  another 
day.  My  second  request  is,  y'  you  would  appoint  fitting  men, 
who  may  in  a  fitt  season  bound  and  lay  out  the  same,  and 
record  y'  alsoe.  And  thus  commending  you  to  the  Lord,  I 
rest. 

Yours  to  serve  in  the  sei-vice  of  Jesus  Christ, 

John  Eliot.' 

In  the  winter  the  Indians  lived  in  the  woods  bordering 
the  Nepouset  River  at  the  head  of  navigation,  where  the 
fresh  and  salt  water  begin  to  mingle.  This  place  they 
called  Unquety ;  and  the  falls,  which  furnished  them  with 
a  great  abundance  of  fish,  they  named  Uncataquissett. 
The  location  was  that  of  the  present  Milton  Lower  Falls. 
The  Indians  undoubtedly  defjended  upon  their  canoes  for 
transportation  to  and  from  their  trapping  and  hunting 
grounds,  which  would  necessitate  but  a  short  carriage 
around  the  falls. 

The  Indians  remained  at  Unquety  until  prevailed  upon 
by  the  apostle  Eliot  to  settle  upon  the  tract  of  land  at 
Ponkapoag  Pond,  which  the  tovra  of  Dorchester  so  kindly 
set  aside  for  their  use.  This  grant,  already  alluded  to, 
included  the  present   towns  of    Canton   and   Stoughton. 

1  History  of  Dorchester,  p.  187  (1859). 


66  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1646. 

When  once  settled  in  their  new  home,  the  Indians  named 
themselves  the  "Ponkapoag"  tribe.  From  year  to  year 
their  numbers  became  less  and  less,  until  the  whole  tribe 
gradually  disappeared,  leaving  the  land  again  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  town.  A  pilgrimage  was  made  each  year  to 
the  homes  and  graves  of  their  ancestors  so  long  as  a  single 
pui'e-blooded  Indian  remained  at  Ponkapoag.' 

Few  are  aware  that  it  is  from  a  small  lull  in  Dorchester 
that  the  name  "  Massachusetts  "  is  derived.  Hutchinson 
gives  us  the  following  interesting  information :  — 

"In  1630  the  sachem  who  governed  the  country  around 
Boston  had  his  seat  on  a  hill  near  Squautum.  It  lies  in  the 
shape  of  an  Indian  arrow-head,  which  was  called  in  their  lan- 
guage '  Mos.'  A  hill  in  the  Indian  tongue  is  '  Wachusett.' 
Hence  the  great  sachem  seat  was  called  '  Moswachusett,'  from 
whence  the  province  received  the  name  of  '  Massachusetts.'"'' 

This  hill  is  on  the  road  leading  to  Squautum,  and  bor- 
dering on  Quincy  Bay,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
from  Neponset.  It  is  covered  with  savins,  or  cedar  trees, 
and  is  a  landmark  wliich  may  be  seen  for  many  miles,  in 
all  directions.  If  looked  at  from  the  south,  near  the  mouth 
of  Sachem's  Brook,  wWch  flows  tlu'ough  the  planting- 
ground  of  Chickataubut,  otherwise  known  as  Billings' 
Plain,  or  the  Massachusetts  Fields,  it  clearly  has  the 
appearance  of  an  arrow-head,  the  shaft  of  which  is  formed 
by  the  long,  narrow  strip  of  marsh  which  connects  it  with 
the  mainland.  Edmund  Quincy  and  W.  Coddington  pur- 
chased this  land  in  1629,  and  it  was  included  in  a  grant  of 
over  one  thousand  acres  made  to  them  in  1635  by  the  town 
of  Boston.  It  was  here  that  the  Indians  passed  the 
summer  season. 

1  Article  on  "Old  Dorchester,"  by  James  H.  Stark,  Boston  Transcript, 
April  2,  1887. 

2  History  of  Massachusetts,  vol.  i.  p.  402. 


1652]  COLONIAL   TIMES.  67 

There  is  another  theory,  advanced  by  Mr.  Sylvester 
Baxter,  that  it  is  to  the  Blue  Hills  of  Milton  that  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  owes  its  name.  The 
country  about  the  bay  was  called  by  the  Indians  living 
hereabout  "  Massachusetts,"  a  word  wliich,  in  the  Algon- 
quin tongue,  literally  means  "the  great  hills  place." 
Thus  it  was,  Mr.  Baxter  claims,  that  Massachusetts  Bay 
received  its  name ;  thence  the  Colony  and  the  Province  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  and  finally  the  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts. 

The  beloved  minister,  Richard  Mather,  was  given  a 
proof  of  the  regard  in  which  the  people  held  him  by  a 
grant,  made  in  1652,  of  £100  salary,  to  be  raised  by  a  town 
rate.  While  this  does  not  seem  a  munificent  sum  to-day, 
it  was  a  liberal  compensation  in  those  times.  The 
generosity  of  the  people  did  not  stop  with  Mr.  Mather's 
salary,  but  the  same  year  they  took  a  collection  "for  y® 
maintenance  of  y"  President,  Fellows,  and  poor  Scholars  of 
Harvard  College." 

A  road  was  laid  out  from  Braintree,  the  present  Quincy, 
to  Roxbury,  in  1655,  under  the  direction  of  Nicholas  Clap 
and  William  Clarke  of  Dorchester,  and  Moses  Paine  and 
Gregory  Belcher  of  Braintree.  The  conditions  were  as 
follows :  — 

"  First  that  the  Waye  shall  be  fowre  Rodd  "Wide  from  Brantre 
bounds  to  Roxbury  bounds :  secondly  beginning  neere  Hinrye 
Crane's  house,  the  Way  to  Lye  one  the  Sowthest  side  of  it  iu  the 
old  Beaten  roede  waye  :  and  so  to  a  Lowe  White  oake  marked  on 
the  same  side  of  the  waye  and  so  by  the  marked  trees  to  the 
brooke :  so  from  the  Brooke  the  way  being  Lade  in  the  Winter 
we  agreed  to  take  about  a  roode  wide  into  Anthony  Golliford's 
lott  wheare  the  fence  .Interrupts  the  waye  :  and  so  to  a  marked 
post  to  wards  John  Gill's  howse  :  and  from  thence  to  an  other 
marked  post  against  .John  Gills  howse  :  from  thence  to  a  stake 
in  Elder  Kingslys  yearde  and  from  thence  to  the  mille  in  the 


68  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1657. 

olde  beaten  roede  waye :  and  from  the  mille  to  tow  grete  rockes 
one  the  Lower  side  of  the  waye  att  Robert  Spures  and  Henry 
Merifields  bowses  end :  and  from  thence  to  the  new  feild  by  the 
marked  trees  iu  the  olde  roode  waye :  and  so  through  the  new 
feld  wheare  the  waye  formerly  was  and  from  thence  by  the 
marked  trees  one  the  Left  hand  to  Roxbury  bounds :' 

of  Dorchester  Nicholas  Clape. 

William  Clarke. 

of  Brantree  Moses  Paine. 

Gregory  Bellcher." 

The  modem  road-builder  might  be  a  little  amused  at  the 
labored  plans  of  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  work  ;  but, 
at  all  events,  the  desired  end  was  accomplished,  and  the 
road  came  to  a  successful  completion.  As  nearly  as  can  be 
estimated,  this  must  have  been  the  road  which  now  runs 
over  Milton  Hill,  from  Quincy,  to  the  Lower  Mills,  and 
then  over  Washington  Street,  in  Dorchester,  to  Roxbury. 

The  General  Court  established  the  boundaries  between 
Dorchester  and  Dedliam  during  the  next  year. 

In  1657  the  town  suffered  a  great  loss  in  the  destruction 
of  the  records  of  births  and  deaths  which  had  occurred 
previous  to  this  time.  It  is  said  to  have  been  caused  by 
fire,  in  the  burning  of  Thomas  Millet's  house. 

Many  of  the  old  laws  of  the  Colony  seem  utterly  absurd 
and  unreasonable  to  us  of  this  later  date.  For  instance, 
an  attempt  to  enforce  such  a  law  as  that  passed  in  1659, 
concerning  "  strangers,"  would  be  apt  to  call  forth  at  least 
the  accusation  of  inhospitality.  This  law  began  by  defin- 
ing what  strangers  should  reside  within  the  jurisdiction, 
and  how  they  should  be  licensed,  and  then  went  on  to 
state  that  if  any  of  the  townspeople  should  entertain  any 
sojourner  or  inmate  in  his  house  more  than  one  week  with- 
out first  obtaining  a  license  from  the  selectmen,  he  would 
be  liable  to  a  fine.  It  is  shown  by  the  records  that  this 
law  was  strictly  enforced. 

1  Dorchester  Town  Records,  p.  70  (1879). 


1659.] 


COLONIAL   TIMES.  69 


111  1659,  also,  the  proprietors  gave  two  liuncli-ed  acres  of 
land,  for  the  use  and  maintenance  of  the  ministry,  "  to  y" 
inhabitants  of  Dorchester  on  y'  northwest  side  of  y°  river 
Neponset,  and  two  huncbed  to  the  inhabitants  that  live  on 
the  southeast  side  of  the  river."  On  March  1,  1706,  they 
made  another  grant  of  seventy-five  acres,  to  be  laid  out  for 
the  use  of  those  ministers  who  should  be  ordained  in  the 
land  belonging  to  Dorchester,  beyond  the  Blue  Hills ;  and 
another  grant  of  seventy-five  acres  to  the  first  minister  who 
should  settle  and  remain  with  the  inhabitants  for  ten  con- 
secutive years. 

During  this  same  year  the  colonists  were  caused  no  little 
anxiety  by  the  "  trouble  in  the  country  and  Parliament, 
rents  and  divisions  in  many  of  the  churches,  especially  in 
Hartford ;  the  hand  of  God  against  us  in  the  unseasonable 
wet  and  rain  of  last  spring ;  and  the  sad  face  of  things  in 
regard  of  the  rising  generation."  This  was  indeed  trouble 
enough.  The  trouble  in  Parliament  did  not  affect  them 
directly ;  the  differences  in  the  church  at  Hartford  were 
soon  settled  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Mather,  and  the 
damage  done  the  crops  by  the  continued  inclemency  of  the 
weather  was  in  time  repaired ;  but  "  the  sad  face  of  things 
in  regard  of  the  rising  generation"  continued  to  be  a  thorn 
in  the  flesh  of  the  good  people  for  a  long  time  to  come.  It 
is  a  question  whether  they  would  consider  the  state  of 
affairs  to-day  so  vastly  ahead  of  their  time  if  they  could 
look  in  upon  the  modern  civilization ! 

The  22d  of  February,  1660,  was  observed  as  a  day  of 
humiliation  throughout  the  Colony,  because  England  was 
"  at  this  time  in  such  an  unsettled  way  of  Government, 
being  without  Protection  and  without  Parliament,  only  the 
power  remaining  with  the  army,  and  they  also  being 
divided."  ^ 

The  death  of  Major-General  Humphrey  Atherton,  by 
accident,  in  1661,  deprived  the  Colony  of  one  of  its  prin- 
1  History  of  Dorchester,  p.  189  (1859). 


70  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTER.  [1661. 

ciijal  men.  Energetic  and  firm  in  character,  he  proved 
very  useful  to  liis  fellow-colonists.  An  incident  illus- 
trating liis  great  courage  and  j^resence  of  mind  is  that 
wliich  occiu-red  when  he  was  sent  to  Pessacus,  an  Indian 
sachem,  with  twenty  men,  for  the  purpose  of  demanding 
thi-ee  liuncb'ed  fathom  of  wampum,  arrears  due  to  the 
Colony.     For  some  time  Pessacus  refused  to  allow  him  to 

come  into  his  presence,  putting  him 

jTTl'CytLu/^^,        "ff  with  evasive  answers.     Finally, 

Af-ifOht/zryi  however,     Atherton     led    his    men 

to  the  door  of  the  wigwam,  and 
leaving  them  outside,  entered,  pistol  in  hand.  He  then 
seized  Pessacus  by  the  hair,  and  dragged  him  out  from 
among  a  large  number  of  his  attendants,  tlu-eatening  to 
kill  the  fii'st  one  who  attempted  to  interfere. 

The  accident  referred  to  was  a  most  unexpected  and 
distressing  one.  Blake  tells  us  that  "he  was  killed  by 
a  fall  from  his  Horse  at  y*  S°  end  of  Boston  as  he  was 
coming  homewards  (I  think  in  y^  evening)  his  Horse 
either  Running  over,  or  starting  at  a  Cow  that  lay  down 
in  y*  way."  The  following  inscription  is  to  be  found 
upon  his  tomb :  — 

"  Here  lies  our  Captain,  &  Majr.  of  SAi¥olk  was  withall; 

A  Godly  Magestrate  was  he,  &  Major  Generall. 

Two  Troops  of  Horses  with  him  here  came,  such  worth  his  loue 

did  crave ; 
Ten  Companies  of  foot  also  mourning  march'd  to  his  Graue. 
Let  all  that  Read  be  sure  to  keep  y*   Faith  as  he  hath  done. 
With  Christ  he  liues  now  Crowu'd,  his  name  was  Humphrey 

Atherton. 

He  Died  y'=   16th  of  Sepr.  1661." 

During  the  next  year,  1662,  Milton  was  set  off  from 
Dorchester,  and  incorporated  as  a  township ;  but  Dorchester 
still  retained  the  land  south  of  the  township.  The  Indian 
name  of  Milton,  "  Unquety,"  clung  to  it  for  many  years 


1664.]  COLONIAX,   TIMES.  71 

after  it  became  a  town.     The  fact  of  the  setting  off  is 
thus  recorded  in  the  town  records  :  — 

"It  was  voted  whether  there  should  be  a  Committee  chosen 
to  consider  what  may  be  best  to  be  done  both  for  the  Towne  of 
Dorchester  and  our  neighbours  at  Unquelie,  in  reference  to  a 
township  amongst  themselves,  and  the  vote  was  affirmative. 
At  the  same  time  there  was  chosen  for  the  Committee,  William 
Sumner,  John  Capeu  and  John  Minott."  ' 

The  execution  of  Sir  Henry  Vane  in  England,  on  June 
14,  caused  a  great  deal  of  mourning  among  his  old  friends 
and  acquaintances  in  Dorchester  and  Boston.  He  was 
greatly  beloved,  and  was  liighly  res^^ected  in  the  Colony. 
His  punishment,  when  no  proof  could  be  found  to  sustain 
the  charges  brought  against  him,  had  considerable  weight 
in  preparing  the  minds  of  the  colonists  to  resent  the  in- 
justice which  they  suffered  later,  and  which  came  nearer 
home.  It  has  been  intimated  that  this  may  have  been  the 
tirst  time  that  they  felt  how  much  they  had  bettered  their 
condition  by  removing  from  the  immediate  action  of  cruel 
and  unjust  laws. 

It  was  in  1664  that  the  first  step  was  taken  that  showed 
how  the  onward  march  of  events  was  leading  the  colonists, 
and  which  finally  led  to  the  outbreak  which  brought  about 
the  separation  from  the  mother  country.  During  the 
troubled  times  in  England  the  colonists  had  greatly 
sympathized  with  Cromwell's  party,  but  were  sorely  dis- 
appointed when  Charles  ascended  the  tin-one.  These  feel- 
ings, increased  no  doubt  by  the  fear  that  the  restoration  of 
the  Stuart  family  to  the  throne  might  curtail  many  of  the 
rights  and  privileges  which  they  had  formerly  enjoyed,  led 
the  people  of  Dorchester  to  cbaw  up  a  petition  to  the 
General  Court  which  was  very  significant.  It  was 
undoubtedly  drawn  up  by  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  and 
is  quoted  here  in  part :  — 

'  Dorchester  Town  Records,  vol.  ii.  p.  48. 


72  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1664. 

"The  Petition  off  the  luhabitants  of  Dorchester:  Humbly 
sheweth  : 

"  First  of  all  That  wee  doe  acknowledge  it  with  all  ThaukfuU- 
ness  to  God  &  to  yourselues,  as  a  great  mercy,  that  the  Lord 
was  pleased  to  put  it  into  yor  harts,  in  your  late  session  to 
espresse  &  declare.  That  it  is  your  resolution  (god  assisting) 
to  beare  faith  &  true  Alegiance  vnto  his  majesteye,  And  to 
adhere  vnto  our  Patent  the  dutyes  and  priuilidges  thereof,  soe 
dearly  obtained  &  soe  long  enjoyed  by  vndoubted  right  in  the 
sight  of  god  &  men  :*«***«  it  is  our  humble 
request  vnto  this  Honrd  Court,  That  as  you  haue  expressed  & 
declared  your  resolution  to  adhere  to  ye  patent  &  ye  priuilidges 
thereof,  for  there  may  be  a  constancy  therein  &  noe  declining 
from  the  same,  ffor  you  know  how  vncomfortable  &  dishon- 
rable  it  would  be  first  to  espresse  such  a  resolution  as  affore 
mentioned,  and  aftenvard  to  act  contrary,  wch  wee  hope  is 
farre  from  your  intention.  And  wee  pray  god  that  such  a  thing 
may  never  bee.  It  is  well  known  how  his  Royall  majesty  by 
letters  to  this  collony  doth  confirme  the  said  patent  &  charter, 
&  promiselh  that  wee  shall  Injoy  all  the  libertyes  &  priuilidges 
granted  in  &  by  the  same,  wch  may  be  a  further  &  great 
incouragmt  to  yorselues  to  adhere  to  your  professed  resolution, 
&  to  take  courage  by  your  authority  &  wisdome,  that  all  the 
people  within  this  jurisdiction  may  also  doe  the  same.  *  *  * 
It  is  our  Humble  request  that  the  liberty  of  or  churches  & 
faithfull  ministry  in  this  collony  may  bee  still  continued,  with- 
out the  imposition  of  any  such  Injunction  not  ordained  of  god, 
wch  consciences  truly  tender  would  be  troubled  withall,  but 
that  as  hitherto  our  churches  &  ministers  haue  bine  freed  from 
such  human  iuueutions  &  impositions,  soe  they  may  bee  still,  it 
being  well  knowne  to  the  world  that  to  be  freed  therefrom  was 
one  spetiall  cause  that  moued  many  to  renioue  from  theii'  deare 
natiue  country  Into  this  wilderness,  &  how  lamentable  & 
grieuous  it  would  bee  to  be  here  burdened  &  eucombered  againe 
with  such  matters  is  easy  for  any  to  Judge.  ***** 
We  humbly  Intreat  that  the  Inhabitants  of  this  collony  may 
not  bee  viged  &  compelled  to  make  any  other  paymts  but 
what  is  by  patent   exspressed ;     *     *     *     to   impose    further 


1665.]  COLONIAL   TDIES.  73 

taxes  &  paiments  on  the  country  wch  the  patent  requu-eth  not 
but  freeth  vs  from,  seemeth  to  bee  difficult  vnreesouable  if  not 
impossible  to  bee  borne,  &  therfor  we  humbly  desue  it  may  be 
preuented."  ^ 

This  petition  was  signed  by  over  one  hundred  of  the 
inliabitants  of  Dorchester,  and  shows  that  much  public 
spirit  was  manifested  by  the  people.  It  is  an  interesting 
point  to  notice  that  in  tliis  document,  as  in  every  opposi- 
tion to  the  CroAvn's  actions,  almost  down  to  the  breaking 
out  of  the  Revolution,  the  suggestion  of  separation  from 
the  mother  country  did  not  enter.  England  was  still 
"  our  deare  natiue  country ; "  and  all  opposition  to  its 
laws,  oppressive  as  they  were,  was  prompted  by  a  desire 
for  justice,  with  no  idea  of  retaliation. 

That  the  colonists  had  great  confidence  in  themselves 
is  shown  by  the  sermon  preached  by  Mr.  Mather  about 
this  time,  on  the  significant  text  from  Haggai  ii.  4  :  ''  Yet 
now  be  strong,  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  saith  the  Lord, 
and  work,  for  I  am  with  you,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

In  1665  Dorchester  became  fearful  from  rumors  of  an 
invasion  by  the  Dutch.     As  Captain  Clap  writes :  — 

"  At  that  time  our  W^orks  were  very  weak,  and  Intelligence 
came  to  us  that  Darotlier^^  a  Dutch  Commander  of  a  Squadron 
of  Ships,  was  in  the  West-Indies,  and  did  intend  to  visit  us ; 
whereupon  our  Battery  also  was  repaired,  wherein  are  Seven 
good  Guns.  But  in  the  very  Time  of  this  Report  in  July  1665, 
God  was  pleased  to  send  a  grievous  Storm  of  Thunder  and 
Lightning,  which  did  some  hurt  in  Boston,  and  struck  dead  here 
at  the  Castle- Island,  that  worthy,  renowned  Captain  Richard 
Davenport  ;  upon  which  the  General  Court  in  Aug.  10th  follow- 
ing, appointed  another  Captain  in  the  Room  of  him  that  was 
slain.  But  behold  God  wrought  for  us  ;  for  although  Durother 
intended  to  come  here,  yet  God  by  contrary  Winds  kept  him 
out;  so  he  went  to  Newfoundland,  and  did  great  spoil  there." ^ 

1  N.  E.  Hist.  Gen.  Register,  vol.  v.  p.  Sg."?. 

■-'  Probably  De  Ruitlier,  a  famous  Dutch  admiral. 

3  Captain  Clap's  Memoirs,  p.  32  (1844). 


74  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEK.  [1655. 

The  "  other  captain  "  referred  to  was  Captain  Chip  liim- 
self ;  and  this  appointment  compelled  him  to  resign  his 
connection  with  the  town  business,  in  which  he  had  been 
considerably  engaged. 

The  exact  boundaries  of  the  town  were  not  fixed  for 
some  time  after  the  settlement.  The  fu'st  reference  we  find 
is  upon  the  court  records  of  1632.  In  March,  1634-35 
Dorchester  had  some  difficulty  with  Boston  about  the 
bounds  of  Mount  Wollaston ;  and  Lieutenant  Feakes,  Mr. 
Talcott,  Mr.  John  Woolridge,  Ensign  Gibbens,  and 
William  Phelps,  had  the  matter  referred  to  them.^  In 
1636  the  committee  made  a  rejjort,  which  was  accepted, 
establisliing  the  south  line  of  the  town  on  the  sea,  at  some 
point  in  Quincy  Bay  south  of  Squantum.  This  gave  a 
large  portion  of  upland  and  all  the  salt  marsh  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Neponset,  including  nearly  the  whole  south- 
west side  of  the  harbor,  —  an  extent  of  ten  miles  of  shore. 
The  text  of  the  report  is  as  follows :  — 

' '  The  bounds  of  Dorchesf  is  to  ruu  from  the  outside  of 
M"'  Rossiters  fferme,  nexte  the  sea,  to  the  ffoote  of  y'^  greate 
hill,  from  a  mked  tree  to  a  second  iiiked  tree,  in  a  straight  lyue 
to  the  topp  of  the  Blue  Hills,  nexte  Naponsett,  southe  west  & 
by  west  halfe  a  poynte  westly,  &  all  the  marshe  ground  from 
the  south  east  syde  of  M'"  Newberry s  howse,  alonge  Naponsett 
Eyver,  to  M''  Stoughtons  myll,  to  lye  to  Dorchesf,  &  all  the 
rest  of  the  vjDland  &  marshe  from  M"'  Rossiters  fferme  to  the 
sea,  &  soe  to  the  mouthe  of  the  ryv'  beyonde  Minotiquid 
Ryver,  ruiiing  into  A  couutrie  southward  &  to  the  west, 
to  lye  to  Boston,  onely  excepting  such  land  as  they  have  right 
to  by  graunt  of  the  Court  formly.-  Robte  Feke     ") 

John  Talcott  ) 

In  1636  the  Court  granted  Dorchester  all  the  land  south 
of  Neponset  to  the  Blue  Hills,  including  the  territory  of 
Unquety,  the  present  town  of  Milton.     Twenty-one  years 

1  Massacliusetts  Records,  vol.  i.  p.  139  (18.53).  2  Ibid.  p.  162. 


%t^      1 1  WS^^sAii'  -fit  I     '"; 


1666.]  COLONIAL   TLMES.  77 

later,  as  we  have  seen,  the  town  set  apart  six  thousand 
acres  of  laud  at  Poukapoag,  at  the  request  of  John  Eliot, 
for  an  Indian  reservation;  and  the  territory  of  the  town 
was  diminished  six  thousand  acres  more  tlnough  mistakes 
of  the  surveyors. 

On  October  6,  1666,  Kitchamakin,  the  sachem  of  the 
Massachusetts  Indians,  conveyed  to  the  settlers  all  tlie  land 
"beyond  Neponsit  Mill,  to  the  utmost."  Some  twenty 
years  before,  Josias  Chickataubut,  the  predecessor  of 
Kitchamakin,  had  yielded  his  power  to  be  subortlinate  to 
the  English,  and  the  conveyance  of  the  laud  was  a  contin- 
uation of  the  policy  then  begun.  Dorchester  originally 
extended  only  to  the  top  of  the  Blue  Hill,  but  these 
grants  greatly  enlarged  its  boundaries. 

So  long  as  old  Josias  Chickataubut  had  lived  there  had 
waged  a  bitter  controversy  between  him  and  King  Philip, 
of  Mount  Hope,  concerning  the  boundaries  of  their  respec- 
tive juriscUctions,  and  there  was  danger  of  more  serious 
trouble  than  merely  words.  Josias,  however,  died  before 
any  outbreak  occurred ;  and  the  former  difficulties  were 
j)eacefully  settled  by  King  Philip  and  Squamaug,  sachem 
of  Poukapoag,  a  brother  of  Josias,  the  meeting  taking 
place  at  the  house  of  Captain  Hudson,  near  Wading  River. 

The  settlei"s  were  not  altogether  satisfied  that  the  deed 
given  to  them  by  Kitchamakin  was  fidl  enough ;  so  they 
obtained  a  promise  from  Wampatuck,  his  successor,  that 
he  would  give  them  a  grant  of  all  the  land  in  Dorchester 
beyond  the  Blue  Hills,  with  the  exception  of  the  Pouka- 
poag plantation.  Within  tlu'ee  years  he  was  to  give  them 
a  complete  title.  His  deatli  prevented  tliis ;  but  Job 
Ahauton,  who  had  been  appointed  his  attorney,  together 
with  Squamaug,  carried  out  the  plans  of  the  dead  chief, 
and  on  December  10,  1666,  the  deed  was  consummated. 
Tills  was  the  "New  Grant,"  and  a  rate  of  £28  was  levied 
on  the  proprietors  to  pay  for  it.  It  included  all  the  land, 
not  previously  granted,  Ipng  between  the  Old  Colony  line 
6 


78  GOOD  OLD  DOKCHESTEK.  [1688. 

and  a  grant  made  to  Dedham,  and  covered  the  territory  of 
the  present  towns  of  Canton,  Stoughton,  Sharon,  Foxboro', 
and  a  part  of  Wrentham,  —  a  site  thirty-five  miles  long, 
and  running  to  within  one  huncb-ed  and  sixty  rods  of  the 
Rhode  Island  line. 

The  town  was  formerly  bounded  by  Boston,  Roxbury, 
Dedliam,  Wrentham,  Taunton,  Bridgewater,  and  Braintree. 
It  extended  from  Dorchester  Point,  as  South  Boston  was 
then  called,  out  as  far  as  Fort  Independence,  which  was 
then  known  as  the  "  Castle,"  to  within  one  hundred  and 
sixty  rods  of  the  Rhode  Island  line.  Soon,  however,  the 
mother  town  was  called  upon  to  contribute  some  of  her 
territory  to  her  offs23iings,  and  thus  gradually  lost  its  dis- 
tinction of  being  the  largest  town  in  New  England. 
Milton  was  set  off  from  Dorchester  in  1662 ;  a  part  of 
Wrentham  in  1724 ;  Stoughton  two  years  later ;  a  part  of 
Dedliam  in  1739;  Sharon  in  1765;  Foxboro'  in  1778; 
Canton  in  1797 ;  Dorchester  Heights  in  1804 ;  Wasliington 
Village  in  1855 ;  and  Hyde  Park  in  1868.  The  climax 
was  reached,  however,  when  Dorchester  itself  was  swal- 
lowed up  by  Boston  in  1870,  merging  its  identity  into  the 
commonplace  "  Sixteenth,"  afterwards  "  Twenty-fourth," 
Ward. 

In  1668  the  people  met  together  and  drew  lots  for  the 
"  Twelve  Divisions."  In  1695  a  committee  was  chosen  to 
lay  out  the  lands  unto  each  proprietor  according  to  a 
former  grant  which  had  been  agreed  upon  by  a  vote  of  the 
proprietors  in  1671.  Twelve  times  as  much  land  was 
proportioned  to  each  proprietor  as  was  already  prefixed  to 
each  man  in  a  list  of  a  single  di\dsion  left  by  Captain 
Breck,  and  at  that  time  in  the  keeping  of  the  town  clerk  ; 
but  it  was  not  until  1698  that  the  laying  out  of  the  land 
was  finished.  Although  some  of  these  proprietors  may 
have  settled  upon  the  land  laid  out  to  them,  the  owners 
must  not  be  confounded  with  the  actual  settlers  of  the 
town.      In   some    cases   their   ehilcb'en    moved   here   and 


1669.] 


COLOiflAL  TLMES.  79 


occupied  the  land,  but  it  is  often  doubtful  whether  the 
"  proprietor  "  ever  set  foot  on  Ms  possessions  in  the  "  New- 
Grant."  » 

On  the  22d  of  April,  1669,  the  town  lost  one  of  its 
most  prominent  citizens  in  the  death  of  Rev.  Richard 
Mather.2  jn  1671  Rev.  Josiah  Flint  was  ordained  pastor 
of  the  church,  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused  by  liis  death. 

The  friendly  relations  wliieh  had  existed  between  the 
Dorchester  settlers  and  King  Pliilip  is  shown  by  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  which  is  dated  at  Mount  Hope,  May  15, 
1672.  The  letter  is  also  interesting  as  it  shows  that  Philip 
at  this  time  dressed  after  the  English  fashion :  — 

Philip  sachem  of  mount  hope 

To  Capt.  Hopestill  Foster  of  Dorchester 
Sendeth  Greeting 

S'^  You  may  please  to  remember  that  when  I  last 
saw  You  att  Wadiug  riuer  You  promised  me  sis  pounds  in 
goods ;  now  my  request  is  that  you  would  send  me  [by]  this 
Indian  fiue  yards  of  White  light  cohered  serge  to  make  me  a 
coat  and  a  good  hollaud  shirt  redy  made ;  and  a  pr  of  good 
Indian  briches  aU  which  I  have  present  need  of,  therefoer  I 
pray  S"-  faile  not  to  send  them  by  my  Indian  and  with  them  the 
seurall  prices  of  them;  and  silke  &  buttens  &  7  yards  Gal- 
lownes  for  trimming :  not  else  att  present  to  trouble  you  w* 
ouley  the  subscription  of  King  Philip 

Mount  hope  his  Majesty  P  P 

y»  lo""  of  May 
1672 

The  war  with  King  Philip  in  167.5  is  said  to  have  been 
brought  about  thi-ough  the  killing  of  a  Dorchester  Indian 
named  Sassamon.  This  Sassamon,  or  Wassausmon  as  his 
name  really  was,  had  served  as  private  secretary  to  King 
Philip,  and  probably  di-ew  up  the  letter  quoted  above.  He 
became  Chi-istiauized,  and  left  Philip  in  order  to  preach, 

1  History  of  Canton,  p.  3  (1893).  -  See  p.  2.30. 


80  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK.  [1675. 

divulgiug,  as  some  of  Pliilip's  followers  asserted,  many  of 
the  king's  plans.  He  was  seized  by  Philip's  men  on  this 
account  and  murdered,  and  his  body  was  tlu-own  into 
Assawomset  Pond. 

The  three  Indians  who  had  committed  tliis  deed  were 
seized  and  tried  by  a  jury,  half  of  whom  were  their  own 
countrymen.  The  verdict  was  against  them,  and  they 
were  hanged.  They  claimed  in  their  own  justification  that 
they  had  a  right  to  execute  justice  on  a  traitor  in  accord- 
ance with  their  own  customs,  and  that  the  English  had 
notliing  to  do  with  it. 

This  was  the  spark  which  caused  the  flames  to  break  out 
at  last,  but  the  fire  had  been  smouldering  for  a  long  while. 
The  Indians  said  that  "  if  twenty  of  their  honest  Intlians 
proved  that  an  Englishman  had  wronged  them,  it  was 
nothing;  while  if  one  of  their  worst  Indians  testified 
against  any  of  them,  it  was  sufficient."  The  Indians 
further  claimed  that  the  English  made  the  Indians  chunk, 
and  then  cheated  them ;  and  that  the  English  cattle  and 
horses  had  so  increased  that  they  could  not  keep  their  corn 
from  injury,  never  having  been  accustomed  to  build  fences. 
The  settlers,  on  the  other  hand,  claimed  that  everytliing 
which  had  been  taken  from  the  Indians  had  been  fairly 
jjurchased,  and  that  laws  had  been  framed  to  protect  their 
interests. 

The  war  was  about  over  by  the  close  of  1676  ;  but  the 
struggle  had  been  a  fearful  one,  and  few  families  had 
escaped  without  the  loss  of  at  least  one  member.  Now, 
however,  another  affliction  seemed  imminent.  The  families 
in  the  country  had  fled  to  Boston  and  its  vicinity  for  pro- 
tection, and  left  their  farms  uncultivated.  Tliis  caused  a 
great  scarcity  of  food,  and  starvation  seemed  to  stare  the 
Ijeople  in  the  face. 

Early  the  next  year,  however,  money  and  provisions  were 
sent  to  the  aid  of  the  helpless  settlers  from  London  and 
Dublin,  and  this  kindly  act  bridged  over  the  trouble  until 


1S77.]  COLONIAL   TEtfES.  81 

the  people  regained  their  former   position.     Drake  says, 
"  In  this  extremity,  Dr.  Increase  Mather  did,  by  his  letters, 
procure  a  whole  sliipload  of  provisions  from  the  charity  of 
liis  friends  in  Dublin,  and  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 
and  much  clotliing,  from   the  like  charity  of    his  friends 
in  London,  greatly  to  the  relief  of  the  poor  people  here."  ^ 
Proof  that  this  generous  deed  was  appreciated  was  shown 
in  1849,  when  the  descendants  of  these  early  settlers  sent 
the  U.  S.  S.  "  Jamestown  "  to  Ireland,   bearing  provisions 
and  assistance.      That   is      ,,^        yiJO.       /A    /-t 
the    kind    of    reciprocity      Jyo^lShTt  ''^^^^0t->r' 
which  luids  universal   fa- 
vor.    During  tliis  year  death  deprived  the  town  of  Captain 
Hopestill  Foster. 

The  next  few  years  were  tranquil  ones,  the  regular 
routine  of  the  life  of  the  people  being  broken  only  by 
occasional  reprimands  administered  to  a  few  transgressors. 
Among  these  were  Robert  Spur,  who  was  called  before  the 
Church  in  1677,  accused  of  the  offence  "  of  giving  enter- 
tainment in  his  house  to  loose  and  vain  persons ;  "  Samuel 
Rigby,  who  had  to  answer  for  "the  sin  of  cursing, 
excessive  drinking,  and  the  neglect  of  attendance  on  the 
public  ordinances ; "  and  John  Merrifield,  who  was  sum- 
moned for  committing  the  sin  "  of  cbunkenness,  and  also  for 
contempt  and  slighting  the  power  of  Clii-ist  in  his  Church." 
In  1678  John  Brown  and  John  Hoppin  were  ordered  to 
leave  the  town,  "having  no  settled  place  of  abode,"  and 
in  1679  Robert  Stiles  had  to  give  an  account  of  the 
"manner  in  wliich  he  spent  his  time." 

During  the  year  1678  the  town  paid  for  killing  seven 
wolves,  and  voted  to  dispose  of  the  old  meeting-house. 
A  chui'ch  was  formed  in  Milton,  it  being  "done  in  our 
meeting-house  in  Dorchester,  because  of  some  opposition 
that  chd  appear."  On  June  6  a  contribution  was  made  for 
the  relief  of  the  captives  which  were  taken  from  Hatfield, 
'  History  of  Boston. 


82  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1679. 

ainoimting  to  .£8  5s  2d.  The  new  meeting-house  was 
used  for  the  fii-st  time  on  November  17,  and  on  the  1st  of 
December  Mr.  Flint  projjosed  to  the  Church  a  day  of 
thanksgiving. 

The  chi-ouicles  show  that  the  year  1679  was  remarkable 
chiefly  for  the  activity  of  the  Church  in  investigating  and 
"  making  settlement  with  its  members  for  long-standing 
sins." 

In  1680  the  town  was  brought  into  a  state  of  great  ex- 
citement by  the  report  that  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William 
Morse  of  Newbury,  was  a  witch.  The  case  was  brought 
before  the  Court,  and  the  woman  pronounced  guilty  by  the 
jiuy,  but  later  she  was  reprieved.  John  Capen  aud  Jacob 
Hewins  represented  Doichester  on  the  jury. 

Blake  does  not  refer  to  the  witchcraft  trials  in  his 
"Annals;"  so  we  may  judge  that,  while  Dorchester  was 
undoubtedly  deeply  concerned  in  the  events  of  the  time, 
the  town  took  no  direct  part  in  the  persecutions.  In 
furnisliing  the  implacable  chief  justice,  William  Stoughton, 
however,  Dorchester  certainly  must  have  felt  that  some  of 
the  responsibility  fell  upon  their  famous  townsman.  A 
book  published  in  1697  by  the  Rev.  John  Hale,  entitled 
"  A  Modest  Enquiry  into  the  Nature  of  Witchcraft,"  con- 
tains the  following  allusion  to  Dorchester  :  — 

"Another  that  suffered  on  that  account  sometime  after  was 
a  Dorchester  woman.  Upon  the  day  of  her  execution,  Mr. 
Thompson,  minister  at  Brantry,  and  J.  P.,  her  fonner  master, 
took  pains  with  her  to  bring  her  to  repentance.  She  utterly 
denied  her  guilt  of  witchcraft,  yet  justified  God  for  bringing 
her  to  that  punishment." 

On  the  16th  of  September,  1680,  Rev.  Mr.  Flint,i  the 
pastor  of  the  Church,  died,  after  serving  his  people  faith- 
fully for  nine  years.  John  Foster,^  the  popular  school- 
master, one  of  the  most  valued  of  the  townspeople,  died 
September  9th,  the  next  year. 

1  See  p.  234.  =>  See  p.  S12. 


1682.]  COLONIAI,   TIMES.  83 

Measures  were  on  foot  in  1682  to  provide  means  where- 
with to  build  a  fence  around  the  burying  ground.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  visit  the  most  influential  of 
the  inhabitants,  and  to  solicit  financial  aid,  so  that  the 
town  rate  might  be  lightened.  The  result  of  their 
endeavoi-s  was  that  Thomas  Modsley  was  appointed  "to 
make  and  mainetaine  a  sufficient  fence  against  the  burieng 
place  for  seuen  yeares,  and  to  keepe  it  vp  all  the  tyme,  and 
then  to  leaue  a  sufficient  fence  at  the  end  of  the  terme."  ^ 

An  important  event  of  tliis  same  year  was  the  adoption 
by  the  town  of  a  set  of  standard  weights.  "  Weights  are 
p'uided  by  Constable  Elisha  Foster,"  wi'ites  the  ancient 
chronicler,  "  for  to  be  a  standard  for  the  towne  according 
as  the  law  requireth ;  by  which  all  other  weights  are  to  be 
sized  and  sealed ;  diuers  of  which  are  bell  fashioned  viz  : 
one  56 :  one  28 :  one  14 :  one  7 :  one  4 :  one  2 :  the  rest 
are  flat  weights  and  are  one  pound :  one  halfe  pound :  one 
quarter :  one  eighth  parte :  one  ounce :  as  allso  one  halfe 
ounce :  one  quarter  of  an  ounce :  one  eighth :  one  16  part 
of  an  ounce." 

These  yeai-s  just  before  the  dividing  line  between  colo- 
nial and  provincial  times  were  busy  ones  for  the  people, 
and  a  large  amount  of  property  changed  hands.  It  is 
the  record  of  these  transfers  which  swells  the  town  records 
during  this  period,  and  evidently  kept  the  "  town  dark  " 
well  employed. 

In  1685  James  II.  became  king  of  England,  and  this 
was  the  most  severe  blow  the  colonists  had  yet  received. 
His  character  was  too  well  known  in  New  England  to 
leave  any  doubt  as  to  the  course  he  would  pursue.  His 
choice  of  advisers  from  men  infamous  for  their  crimes  con- 
firmed their  convictions,  especially  when  the  villanous  Percy 
Kirke  was  appointed  governor.  It  would  not  have  been 
remarkable  if  a  serious  break  had  occurred  at  this  point 
between  the  Colony  and  the  mother  country,  for  there 
•  Dorchester  Town  Records,  p.  265  (1879). 


84  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1686. 

was  certainly  provocation  enough.  The  great  diplomacy 
which  they  displayed,  however,  combined  with  an  unusual 
amount  of  common-sense,  carried  them  safely  over  the 
troubled  times  which  so  threatened  them  with  disaster. 

The  town  was  deprived  of  one  of  its  most  valuable 
inhabitants,  the  next  year,  by  the  death  of  Elder  James 
Humfrey.  Early  in  February  he  had  "  moved  the  Church 
that  they  would  look  out  and  provide  themselves  another 
Elder,  because  he  had  long  been  lame,  and  did  look  at 
himself  near  Iris  departure  out  of  this  world."  Much  to 
the  regret  of  the  people,  his  last  request  to  be  buried  in 
the  same  tomb  with  Ms  early  companion  and  friend,  the 
Rev.  Richard  Mather,  could  not  be  complied  Avith,  as  it 
was  too  small,  and  had  been  stoned  up,  so  that  it  was  not 
practicable  to  open  it  again.  However,  the  body  of  the 
beloved  Elder  was  reverently  laid  at  rest  near  Mr.  Mather's 
tomb,  with  a  stone  bearing  the  following  inscription  to 
mark  the  place :  — 

"  Here  lyes  Interred  y^  Body  of  Mr.  .James  Humfrey,  one  of 
y*  Ruling  Elders  of  Dorchester,  who  depaited  this  Hfe  May 
12th,  1686,  in  y«  78th  year  of  his  age. 

I  nclosed  within  this  shrine  is  precious  Dust 
A  nd  only  waits  for  th'  rising  of  y"  Just, 
Most  useful!  while  he  liu'd,  adorn'd  his  Station. 
Euen  to  old  age  he  Seru'd  his  Generation, 
Since  his  Decease  tho't  of  with  Veneration. 

H  ow  great  a  Blessing  this  Ruling  Elder  he 
Unto  this  Church  &  Town  ;  &  Pastors  Three. 
Mather  he  first  did  by  him  help  Receiue; 
Flint  did  he  next  liis  burthen  much  Relieue ; 
Renowned  Danforth  he  did  assist  with  skill, 
E  steemed  high  by  all ;  Bear  fruit  untill 
Y  ielding  to  Death  his  Glorious  seat  did  fill." 

Deacon  James  Blake  was  chosen  ruling  elder  in  Mr. 
Humfrey's  place,  in  spite  of  his  plea  that  he  was  "too 
thick  of  hearing  "  to  accept  the  position. 


1687.]  COLONIAL,   TUIES.  85 

The  year  1687  brings  us  nearly  to  the  close  of  Colonial 
Times,  which  we  find  ovei-shadowed  by  clouds  of  doubt  and 
uncertainty.  Sir  Edniond  Anckos  was  in  power,  and  the 
town  chose  no  representative  to  the  General  Coiu't.  The 
people  were  cUscontented  under  the  new  government, 
and  cUd  not  carry  out  the  ordei-s  of  the  governor  and  liis 
council  with  their  accustomed  obedience  and  regularity. 
The  prevailing  lack  of  sympathy  is  shown  by  the  following 
entry  on  the  Chiu'ch  Records :  — 

"  The  3  of  May  88  ther  was  fast  in  o''  towne  it  is  said  a  pub- 
Ilk  fast  but  few  towns  had  notice  of  it  nor  had  wee  but  by 
M'  Stoughtons  enformiug  y"^  y''  Couusell  had  determined  it  ther 
was  none  at  Rocksbery  nor  Cambridg  nor  watertown  nor  at 
boston  but  at  y''  first  Chm-ch  ther  y''  Saboth  before  they  say 
was  apoiuted  a  thanksgiviug  day  for  y^  queens  being  w""  chUd : 
om-  Saboth  was  kept  as  at  other  times  being  Sacrament  day." ' 

The  fifty-eight  yeare,  whose  events  have  been  recorded 
in  the  preceding  pages,  have  brought  forth  a  wonderful 
development  in  the  early  settlers.  These  sturdy  emigrants 
have  succeeded  in  planting  a  colony  in  the  wilderness,  and 
in  creating  order  out  of  chaos.  All  around  them  other 
colonies  are  started;  birt  it  is  to  Dorchester  that  they 
look  for  leadership.  It  is  Dorchester  that  institutes 
the  fu-st  special  town  meeting;  the  succeeding  year  the 
other  settlements  follow  her  example.  It  is  Dorchester 
that  founds  the  fu-st  free  public  school,  and  elects  the  first 
school  committee :  from  this  originated  the  great  system 
of  public  education  which  has  ever  made  Massachusetts 
famous. 

These   events   alone   entitle   Dorchester   to  a  foremost 

position  as  a  pioneer  of  good  citizenship.    The  descendants 

of  the  early  colonists,  who  displayed  so  much  wisdom  in 

spite  of  their  restricted  opportunities,  have  reason  to  feel 

1  Records  of  the  First  Church  of  Dorchester,  p.  128. 


86 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


proud  that  the  same  worthy  blood  flows  thi'ough  their 
veins  as  that  which  animated  their  ancestors,  more  than 
two  hundi-ed  and  fifty  years  ago,  to  establish  such  valuable 
institutions. 

Thus  we  find  the  peoi^le  prepared,  by  their  struggles 
during  the  half-century  just  passed,  to  take  part  in  the 
second  period  of  the  existence  of  the  town.  The  Colony 
is  about  to  become  a  Province,  and  the  colonists  are  almost 
ready  to  assiune  the  title  of  provincials.  We  shall  find 
the  transitaou  period  full  of  interest  and  importance,  bring- 
ing out  more  forcibly  the  sterling  worth  and  indomitable 
coui'age,  perseverance,  and  intelligence  of  the  people  to 
whom  Dorchester  owes  her  foundation. 


Ship  of  Ihe  XVIItli  Century,  of  the  class  to  which  the  "  Mary  and  John  ' 
belonged. 


CHAPTER   II. 


PROVINCIAL  TIMES.     1689-1783. 


T  is  to  the  Town  Records  that  the  historical 
student  must  turn  to  find  the  evidence  of 
the  important  change  which  has  come 
over  the  people.  It  has  been  silently  and 
unconsciously  accomplished,  without  the 
actual  knowledge  even  of  the  people 
themselves.  Under  the  date  of  May,  1689,  is  the  follow- 
ing entry,  which  has  been  called^  "the  bridge  from  the 
Colonial  to  the  Provincial  period  ":  — 

"  According  to  the  order  of  the  coinicill  for  safety  of  the 
people  and  conservation  of  the  peace,  may  the  2^,  1689, 
du-ected  to  the  Captain  and  select  men  of  the  town  of 
dorchester,  —  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  being  warned,  met 
together  on  the  7*  instant,  may,  and  made  choice  of  Samuel 
Clap  and  Timothy  Tilston  to  convene  at  boston  upon  thursday, 
the  ninth  instant,  at  two  o'clock  afternoon,  fully  impowrd,  then 
and  there,  to  consult,  advise,  joyn,  and  give  then  assistance 
with  the  eouncill  now  sitting." 

The  events  which  called  forth  the  appointment  of  these 
representatives  were  momentous.  In  April,  1689,  a  rumor 
came  from  Virginia  that  the  Prince  of  Orange  had  landed 
in  England  the  November  previous,  and  this  raised  the 
hopes  of  the  inhabitants  of  Boston  to  the  highest  pitch. 

1  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows:  "  Dorchester  in  the  Provincial  Period."  — 
Memorial  History  of  Boston,  vol.  ii.  p.  357. 


00  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1689. 

Soon  tlie  excitement  was  beyond  control.  Tar-barrels  were 
lighted  on  Beacon  Hill,  and  flags  were  raised  to  take  their 
place  by  day.  The  people  from  the  country  around  Boston 
came  flocking  to  the  town,  and  every  one  seemed  to  realize 
that  a  great  crisis  was  at  hand.  A  company  of  Boston 
soldiery  escorted  several  of  the  former  magistrates  through 
the  principal  streets,  finally  stopping  at  the  Town  House 
on  King  Street,  the  present  State  Street.  The  former 
magistrates  appeared  on  the  balcony,  and  read  a  "  Declara- 
tion of  the  Gentlemen,  Merchants  and  Inhabitants  of 
Boston  and  the  Country  adjacent "  to  the  excited  crowd  in 
the  street.  This  document  is  supposed  to  have  been  drawn 
up  by  Cotton  Mather,  and  rehearsed  the  oppressive  acts  of 
AncU'Os's  administration,  the  illegal  appointment  of  the 
Dudley  Commission,  and  the  wrongful  suppression  of  the 
Charter.  It  further  hailed  with  delight  the  accession  of 
the  Piince  of  Orange  to  the  throne  of  England,  and 
justified  the  arrest  and  imjirisonment  of  "  those  few  ill  men 
which  have  been  (next  to  our  sins)  the  grand  authors  of 
all  our  miseries." 

Numerous  arrests  were  made,  including  Captain  George 
of  the  frigate  "  Rose,"  and  Randolph  and  Chief  Justice 
Dudley.  The  fort  surrendered,  and  it  was  agreed  that  the 
"  Rose "  should  strike  her  topmasts  and  send  her  sails 
ashore,  thus  lying  helpless  in  the  stream,  under  the  guns 
of  the  fort.  The  overtlu-ow  of  the  AncU-os  government 
was  accomplished  without  the  loss  of  a  di-op  of  blood. 
A  provisional  government  was  at  once  organized  under  the 
name  of  a  "Council  for  the  Safety  of  the  People  and 
Conservation  of  the  Peace."  The  venerable  and  beloved 
Simon  Bradstreet  Avas  appointed  president,  and  a  number 
of  the  old  assistants  were  called  to  his  aid  as  a  council.  It 
was  to  this  council  that  Messrs.  Clap  and  Tileston  were 
chosen,  as  the  Dorchester  representatives. 

Fifty-four  towns  of  Massachusetts  were  represented  in 
the  assembly  which  met  after  the  overthi-ow  of  Andi'os ; 


1689.]  PKOVINCIAL   TIMES.  89 

but,  although  it  was  cleaily  the  sentiment  of  the  delegates 
that  the  ancient  Charter  might  be  resumed,  all  action  was 
suspended  uiider  it  until  it  was  restored.  On  May  29,  the 
news  reached  Boston  that  William  and  Mary  had  been 
invested  with  the  crown. 

In  the  declaration  of  the  prince  to  the  people  of  England, 
he  announced  that  he  came  in  order  that  "  all  magistrates 
who  have  been  unjustly  tiu-ned  out,  shall  forthwith  reas- 
sume  their  former  Imployments,  and  the  English  corpora- 
tions return  to  their  ancient  prescriptions  and  charters." 
It  was  upon  this  clause  that  the  colonists  confidently 
relied ;  but  they  had  been  deceived  in  their  expectations. 
The  ministers  of  the  king  explained  that  the  clause 
referred  to  the  English  charters,  which  had  been  taken 
away  by  James,  and  not  to  those  of  the  colonies,  which 
violated  the  Navigation  Acts,  and  thi'eatened  the  interests 
of  English  trade  and  manufactures.  The  new  regency 
was  not  disposed  to  continue  the  policy  of  the  late  king, 
but  evidently  had  no  idea  of  allowing  the  opportunity  to 
slip  by  for  jDutting  a  restraint  upon  colonial  indeiDcndence. 
Thus  the  Massachusetts  deputies  were  only  able  to  obtain 
permission  to  use  the  old  Charter  until  a  new  one  could  be 
framed. 

William  made  a  concession,  however,  which  somewhat 
lessened  the  bitterness  of  the  disapjjointment :  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  governor  who  would  be  acceptable  to  the  people 
was  left  to  the  agents  of  the  Colony.  One  of  these  agents, 
Increase  Mather,  had  been  sent  to  England  during  the 
critical  affairs  of  the  Colony.  He  had  not  been  successful 
in  procui-ing  a  new  charter  satisfactory  to  the  people,  nor 
in  saving  the  old  one  ;  but  liis  influence  was  enough  to 
secure  the  appointment  of  Sir  William  Phips  as  governor 
of  New  England.  Dorchester  was  honored  in  having 
William  Stoughton,  one  of  her  most  prominent  citizens, 
chosen  lieutenant-governor.  When  Phips  was  recalled, 
and  there  was  a  delay  in  the   arrival  of   Bellomont.  his 


90  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1689. 

successor,  the  conduct  of   affairs  largely  devolved  upon 
Stoughton. 

Dr.  George  E.  Ellis,  writing  of  the  effect  of  the  changes 
of  this  period  on  Massachusetts,  says  :  — 

"  It  might  seem  as  if  the  transition  between  the  old  and  the 
new  regime  in  Massachusetts  had  been  made  under  such  favor- 
able circumstances,  through  the  famOiar  personalities  of  Phips 
and  Stoughton,  that  the  people  would  have  hardly  been  con- 
scious of  the  change  in  their  form  of  government.  In  fact,  the 
change  had  been  so  facilitated  in  this  respect  that  it  was  very 
much  relieved  of  a  revolutionary  or  startling  character.  There 
was  a  cheerful  effort,  in  the  renewal  of  the  old  routine  in  the 
towns,  to  gather  up  the  fragments,  and  to  find  the  ever  excellent 
solace  and  security  of  an  excited  people  in  industry.  But  none 
the  less  must  the  strong  and  stiff  old  Stoughton  have  felt  the 
difference  between  standing  among  the  foremost,  as  he  had  done 
in  the  colonial  period,  in  sensitiveness  to  any  reminder  of 
accountability  across  the  water,  and  being  the  reluctant  repre- 
sentative here  of  that  foreign  dictation  and  surveUlauce."  ^ 

The  excitement  incident  to  the  events  already  recorded 
in  this  chapter  had  hardly  subsided  when  Dorchester  was 
called  upon  to  furnish  a  company  of  soldiers  to  assist  in 
the  English  attack  on  Canada.  In  response  to  tliis  demand 
the  town  organized  a  comi:)any  of  seventy-four  men,  under 
command  of  Captain  .John  Withington.  A  question  has 
been  raised  as  to  whether  it  was  possible  for  so  small  a 
town  to  raise  and  support  so  large  a  company  of  men. 
The  names  here  given  include  volunteers  from  the 
present  towns  of  Milton  and  Stoughton,  then  within 
Dorchester's  limits ;  but  even  with  this  in  mind,  the  num- 
ber is  much  larger  than  could  have  been  expected.  It  is 
but  another  proof  of  the  wonderful  fortitude  of  the  early 
settlers,  who  suffered  any  sacrifice  to  support  what  they 
considered  to  be  a  worthy  cause.     All   doubt    as    to   the 

1  The  Royal  Governors  of  Massachusetts  :  Memorial  History  of  Boston, 
vol.  ii.  p.  39. 


1690.] 


PROVINCIAI.  TIMES. 


91 


actual  fact  has  been  removed  by  the  discovery  of  a  com- 
plete list  of  the  names  of  the  soldieis  among  the  papers 
of  Ebenezer  Clap,  the  son  of  Nathaniel,  who  took  an 
active  part  in  town  affairs  at  the  time  the  company  was 
raised.  The  following  list  is  published  in  the  "  History  of 
Dorchester"  (1859):  — 

CANADY  SOLDIERS. 

A   list   of  the   names   of  the   soldiers   under   the   command  of  Captain 
John  Withington,  Oct.  3,  1690. 

Capt.  Job.  Withington.    Sargt.  Ammiel  Weeks.    Corp.  John  Poops. 
Left.  George  Minott.        Sargt.  Richard  Butt.        Corp.  Joseph  Curtis. 
Insine  Samuel  Sumner.    Sargt.  Samuel  Sumner.    Corp.  George  Holmes. 
Joseph  Weeks,  Clarke.  Joseph  Trescott,  Drummer. 


Ebenezer  Sumner. 
Henry  Lyon. 
Eliab  Lyon. 
Uright  Modsley. 
William  Cheney- 
Peter  Calley. 
Ebenezer  Poope. 
AVilliam  Sumner. 
Eleazcr  Walles. 
William  Cooke. 
Joseph  Long. 
Thomas  Weeks. 
Thomas  Andrews. 
William  Sumner. 
Samuel  Sandras. 


Edward  Wiatte. 
Benleman  Hewens. 
.Tames  Swift. 
Hopstill  Sandras. 
Solomon  Clarke. 
.Tohn  Lord. 
Consider  Atherton. 
Jezeniah  Sumner. 
Adam  Barr. 
James  Robinson. 
Cornelius  Tilestone. 
Richard  Euins. 
Samuel  Hicks. 
John  Tolman. 
John  Jones. 


Ebenezer  Crane. 
Samuel  Chandler. 
William  Fowst. 
William  Belshar. 
David  Stevenson. 
Henry  Jackson. 
Thomas  Bird. 
Augusten  Clements. 
William  Swift. 
Moses  Chaplin. 
Joshua  Shoot. 
John  Anderson. 
John  Leeds. 
Isaac  Caps. 
John  Crewhore. 


These  on  Lord  Capt.  B y. 


Corp.  Daniel  Hensha. 
William  Blake. 
John  Gulliver. 
William  George. 
Joseph  Atherton. 
Samuel  Triscott. 


Thomas  Kelton. 
John  Morrill. 
James  INIorey. 
Edward  Clap. 
Jehossephat  Crabtree. 
John  Briant. 


Robert  Husay. 
Charles  Roadman. 
William  Baker. 
Mathew  JIapley. 
John  Jones. 
Ehas  Moonke. 


Forty-six  members  of  this  company  never  returned  from 
the  ill-fated  expedition,  most  of  whom  are  supposed  to 
have  lost  their  lives  at  sea.     In  1735  the  General  Court  of 


92  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEE.  [1691. 

Massachusetts  granted  the  survivors  of  the  expedition, 
and  the  heirs  of  those  who  lost  their  lives,  a  township  of 
land  in  Worcester  County,  which  was  called  Dorchester- 
Canada.  Later,  this  was  incorporated  into  a  town  under 
the  name  of  Ashburnham. 

The  year   1690-91    proved  to  be    the   most   disastrous 
Dorchester  had  experienced,  so  far  as  deaths  are  concerned. 
Blake  says  that  thirty-tlrree  persons  died  of  small-pox,  and 
twenty-four  of  fever,  besides  the  forty-six  who  lost  their 
lives  in  the  Canadian  expedition.^      Among  the  number 
was    Captain     Roger    Clap,    to 
'  PpS'^^'^   ^    ^^nP-'    whom  reference  has  often  been 
■^  made  in  preceding  pages.      He 

was  of  the  ultra  Puritan  school,  and  opposed  to  the  inno- 
vations attempted  by  the  Antinomians  and  Quakers.  He 
resigned  his  position  at  the  Castle  when  the  first  charter 
was  dissolved  in  1686,  as  he  was  unwilling  to  lend  his 
assistance  to  the  tyrannical  schemes  of  Governor  Anchos. 
He  removed  to  Boston  soon  after  his  resignation,  where  he 
died  in  1691.     Blake  says  of  him  :  — 

"As  to  his  natural  Temper,  it  is  said,  He  was  of  a  chearful 
&  pleasant  Disposition,  courteous  aud  kind  iu  his  Behaviour, 
free  and  familiar  iu  his  Couversatiou,  yet  attended  with  a 
proper  Reservedness ;  he  had  a  Gravity  &  Presence  that  com- 
manded Respect  from  others.  He  departed  this  life,  Feb.  2, 
1690-91,  in  the  82d  Year  of  his  Age.  He  was  buried  iu  the 
oM  Burying  Place  in  Boston  ;  the  Military  Officers  going  before 
the  Corps ;  aud  next  to  the  Relations,  the  Govemour  aud  the 
whole  General  Court  following  after;  and  the  Guns  firing  at 
the  Castle  at  the  same  time."^^ 

Another  death  during  this  year,  while  not  occurring 
within  the  town  limits,  was  felt  by  the  peojjle  to  be  a  great 
loss.  John  Eliot,  "the  Apostle  to  the  Indians,"  died  in 
Roxbury,  leaving  a  vacancy  wliich  no  one  else  could  lill. 

1  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  33  (1846). 

2  Memoirs  of  Roger  Clap,  p.  59  (1844). 


1691.] 


PROVIXCIAIi   TIMES. 


95 


He  was  born  at  Nasing,  in  Essex,  England,  in  1604,  and  was 
educated  at  Jesus  College,  Cambridge.  While  here  Eliot 
displayed  his  wonderful  love  of  pliilology,  wliich  he  after- 
wards demonstrated  in  learnmg  the  language  of  the  native 
IncUans.     After  taking   his  degree  Eliot  devoted  himself 


eliot's  chaie.' 

to  teaching,  acting  in  the  capacity  of  usher  in  the  school 
of  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker.  During  his  residence  with  INIr. 
Hooker's  family,  he  resolved  to  devote  himself  to  the  work 
of  the  Christian  ministry.  At  this  time  there  was  no  field 
for  non-conformist  preachers  in  England,  so  Eliot  deter- 

1  This  antique  chair,  having  been  preserved  in  a  Roxbury  family,  was 
given  to  Rev.  Dr.  Harris,  and  is  at  present  in  the  First  Cliurch  in  Dorchester. 
It  bears  tliis  inscription :  "  This  chair  once  belonged  to  the  Rev.  John  Eliot, 
commonly  called  the  '  Apostle  to  the  Indians,'  and  was  used  in  his  study. 
It  was  placed  under  the  pulpit  of  this  meeting-house  (built  in  1816  by  the 
first  parish  in  Dorchester)  by  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris,  D.D.,  for  forty- 
three  years  its  pastor,  as  a  venerated  memorial." 
6 


96  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEE.  [1695. 

miiiecl  to  emigrate  to  America,  where  he  arrived  November 
3,  1631.  He  officiated  for  a  year  in  the  First  Chm-ch  in 
Boston,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  appointed  pastor 
of  the  Chiu'ch  in  Roxbury,  where  he  remained  until  his 
death. 

Eliot  soon  began  the  mission  work  among  the  Indians 
by  which  he  became  so  well  known.  There  were  about 
twenty  tribes  of  natives  witliin  the  bounds  of  the  planta- 
tion of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  he  devoted  himself  for  a 
long  period  to  a  study  of  their  language.  He  obtained 
the  assistance  of  a  young  Indian  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner  during  the  Pequot  War,  and  who  had  been  put 
out  to  service  with  a  Dorchester  planter.  With  his  aid, 
Eliot  translated  the  Commanchuents,  the  Lord's  Praj-er, 
and  many  Scripture  texts,  and  at  length  was  able  to  preach 
to  the  Indians  without  the  help  of  an  interpreter.  His 
most  famous  work  was  the  translation  of  the  Bible  into 
the  Indian  language. 

Eliot's  mission  work  extended  to  all  the  early  settle- 
ments in  the  vicinity ;  but  nowhere  did  he  accomplish  more 
than  among  the  Dorchester  Indians,  for  whom  he  obtained 
the  Ponkapoag  Plantation. 

Captain  John  Capen,  a  valuable  citizen,  died  in  1692. 
He  was  one  of  the  deacons  of  the  Chm-ch,  and  had  been 
selectman  and  recorder,  serving  in  the  former  capacity  for 
sixteen  years,  and  in  the  latter  for  tliirteen  years.  Blake 
says  of  liim,  "  He  wi'ote  more  in  the  Books  than  any  one 
man  by  far ;  keeping  y*  Books  in  good  order.  He  MTote 
about  246  Pages  in  both  Books." 

Earl}^  in  December,  1695,  Rev.  Joseph  Lord  and  a  small 
but  determined  band  of  followers  left  Dorchester  for  the 
purpose  of  sjireading  the  gosi)el.  The  22d  of  the  previous 
October,  the  usual  lecture  day  at  the  church  at  Dorchester, 
was  devoted  to  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Lord ;  and  all  the 
neighboring  towns  sent  representatives  to  the  ceremony. 


1695.]  PRO\T:srCIAIi   TIMES.  97 

From  that  time  until  December  the  zealous  minister  was 
hard  at  work  winning  followers  to  go  with  him  into  the 
wilderness  of  South  Carolina. 

The  enterprise  promised  well ;  and  it  was  an  enthusiastic 
party  of  nine  wliich  embarked  after  listening  to  a  sermon 
from  Kev.  John  Danforth.  After  bidchng  their  friends 
farewell,  they  knelt  down,  "  mingling  their  supplications 
with  every  expression  of  Christian  tenderness." 

The  following  entries  on  the  Chui'ch  Records  in  refer- 
ence to  this  undertaking  are  of  special  interest :  — 

"Decemb''  5"*  1695.  The  Church  for  Carolina  set  saile  from 
Boston  Dec.  14*  at  night  the  skiff  was  neer  run  und"'  Water  y^ 
Stormy  wind  being  so  boisterous.  They  kept  a  day  of  pray' 
on  board  :  &  safely  Landed  at  Carolina  Decemb''  y''  '20^,  y"  oth' 
vessells  had  a  Moneths  Passage,  this  but  about  14  days 

"  Febn  2'' :  There  was  y«  first  Sacrament  of  y'=  Lords  Supper 
that  ever  was  Celebrated  in  Carolina,  Eight  persons  received 
besides  Such  as  were  of  y^  Church  by  vii'tue  of  Comuniou  of 
Churches,  and  there  was  Great  Joy  among  y*  Good  People  of 
Carolina  &  many  Thanksgi^'ings  to  y'=  Lord." 

The  account  of  their  journey  was  well  given  by  Prof. 
John  B.  Mallard  in  his  centennial  addi-ess  before  the  peojjle 
of  Midway,  Georgia,  on  December  6,  1852.     He  said :  — 

"  The  Macedonian  cry  of  the  pious  in  Carolina  was  heard  in 
New  England,  and  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  Dorchester 
settlers  w^as  awakened.  They  had  planted  the  first  church  in 
Connecticut,  and  now  they  were  ready  to  gather  another  to 
send  to  the  far  distant  borders  of  the  South.  .  .  .  On 
the  5th  of  December,  the  first  missionaries  that  ever  left  the 
shores  of  New  England  were  offering  up  their  evening  prayers 
from  the  decks  of  two  small  vessels  on  the  bosom  of  the 
Atlantic.  What  an  interesting  company  did  those  two  frail 
barks  contain  !  Infancy,  not  knowing  whither  it  went ;  youth 
with  all  its  joyousness ;  middle  age  with  its  conscious  weight 
of  responsibility  :  the  old  and  the  young ;  the  strong  and  the 
weak ;  the  protector  and  the  protected. 

"Landing  on  the  shores  of   Carolina,  they  threaded   their 


VO  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTKE.  [1695. 

way  to  the  Ashley  River;  aod  twenty  miles  from  the  abode 
of  civilized  mau,  —  in  the  midst  of  au  unbroken  forest, 
where  wild  beasts  prowled,  —  they  fixed  their  habitation ;  and, 
February  2d,  1696,  under  the  boughs  of  a  weather-beaten 
oak  (still  standing  and  stretching  its  branches  over  the  resting 
places  of  the  dead),  they  took  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  renewed  theii'  vows,  and  gave  public  thanks  to  that 
Being  who  had  led  them  on  iu  safety." 

The  j^eople  built  themselves  temporary  shelter  until 
they  could  devote  more  time  to  the  erection  of  dwelling- 
houses,  the  fii'st  care  being  to  provide  tlieniselves  with  a 
suitable  church.  This  was  established  under  the  Congre- 
gational order  of  church  government,  a  form  which  flour- 
ished with  them  for  many  years.  True  to  the  town  of 
their  birth,  the  new  habitation  was  called  "  Dorchester," 
and  the  people  did  what  they  could,  in  a  rude  way,  to 
make  the  town  resemble  its  New  England  parent. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  discovery  was  made  that  the 
neighborhood  did  not  extend  widely  enough  to  answer  the 
needs  of  the  ever-increasing  inhabitants.  More  than  this, 
the  location  had  not  proved  as  healthful  as  had  been 
expected;  so,  fifty  years  after  the  first  settlement,  tlu-ee 
persons  were  appointed  to  explore  the  adjoining  country, 
with  a  view  to  finding  a  more  favorable  site  for  the  town. 
The  report  was  that  a  suitable  location  had  been  found  in 
the  adjoining  colony  of  Georgia,  and  the  exploring  com- 
mittee advised  an  immediate  removal. 

A  majority  were  in  favor  of  accepting  the  advice  of  the 
committee,  but  a  few  were  so  unwilling  to  leave  their 
homes,  which  seemed  hardly  more  than  just  established, 
that  there  was  a  division,  and  some  went,  and  some 
remained  behind.  The  separation  did  not  last  long,  how- 
ever, for  the  reluctant  ones  decided  to  follow  their  more 
adventurous  bi'others,  and  the  settlement  was  again  united. 

The  new  location  was  situated  just  half  way  between  the 
Altamaha  and  the  Ogechee  Rivers,  and  the  town  was  there- 


1695.]  PROVINCIAL   TENIES.  99 

fore  named  "  Midway."  The  number  of  inhabitants  was 
eight  hundred  and  sixteen.  That  they  still  possessed  the 
characteristic  Dorchester  traits  is  shown  by  the  words  of 
the  secretary  of  the  Georgia  Colony  in  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Benjamin  Martyn  in  England.  He  says,  among  other 
complimentary  expressions,  "I  I'eally  look  upon  these 
people  moving  here,  to  be  one  of  the  most  favorable 
circumstances  that  could  befall  the  colony."  A  further 
proof,  if  one  were  needed,  of  the  position  which  these 
people  held,  is  the  fact  that  from  this  settlement  Georgia 
has  selected  two  governors,  and  many  of  the  most  able 
judges,  professors,  ministers,  and  bishops  of  the  State  have 
claimed  Midway  as  their  home. 

Mr.  Lord,  the  minister,  originally  ordained  to  pursue 
missionary  work  in  South  Carolina,  did  not  remain  long 
with  the  hamlet  he  had  helped  to  institute,  as  he  returned 
to  Massachusetts,  and  settled  in  Chatham.  Rev.  Hugh 
Fisher  was  his  successor ;  and  in  1735  Rev.  John  Osgood 
was  ordained.  When  he  died,  in  1773,  different  mini- 
sters officiated  for  four  years,  until  Mr.  Moses  Allen,  of 
Northampton,  was  settled.  A  year  later  he  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  British,  and  for  several  months  was  con- 
fined in  one  of  their  prison  ships.  He  chafed  under  the 
loss  of  liis  liberty,  however,  being  anxious  to  be  where  he 
could  be  of  assistance  to  his  fellow-patriots,  and  tried  to 
escape  by  throwing  himself  into  the  water.  In  the 
attempt  to  swim  to  land  he  was  drowned.  On  this  same 
occasion  many  of  the  buildings  in  Midway,  including  the 
church,  were  burned  by  the  British  under  General  Provost. 
Among  the  names  associated  with  the  religious  life  at 
Midway  are  those  of  Rev.  Abiel  Holmes,  Rev.  C.  Gilder- 
sleeve,  Rev.  Murdock  Murphy,  Rev.  Robert  Quarterman, 
Rev.  I.  S.  K.  Axson,  Rev.  D.  L.  Buttolph,  and  Rev. 
John  F.  Baker. 

The  part  taken  by  the  Midway  patriots  previous  to  the 
war  of  the  Revolution  made  them  famous.     They  exerted 


100  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1695. 

every  eifort  to  bring  Georgia  up  to  their  standpoint,  and 
to  induce  the  Colony  to  send  delegates  to  the  Continental 
Congress,  but  to  no  avail.  When  the  case  proved  hopeless, 
they  bravely  dissented  from  their  neighbors,  and  chose  Dr. 
Lyman  Hall  to  represent  them  at  Philadelphia,  where  he 
took  an  active  part  in  affairs  of  the  convention,  and  was 
one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 
Thus  we  see  that  Dorchester,  in  Massachusetts,  exerted 
no  little  influence  on  the  Dorchester  in  South  Carolina, 
and  Midway,  Georgia,  and  in  this  way  was  doubly  prom- 
inent in  the  early  strike  for  liberty. 

Dr.  John  Codman,  pastor  of  the  Second  Church,  while 
travelling  in  the  South  in  1824,  paid  a  visit  to  the  settle- 
ment at  Midway.  He  gives  the  following  interesting 
account  of  it :  — 

"Soon  after  breakfast  we  prepared  omselves  to  attend 
church,  about  nine  miles  distant  from  Colonel  Law's.  On  oui' 
way,  which  was  principally  through  a  thick  wood,  we  passed 
mauy  negroes,  neatly  attired,  walking  to  the  house  of  God  in 
company.  As  we  approached  the  church,  a  great  number  of 
carriages  were  coming  in  every  dhection  to  this  sacred  spot, 
which  is  far  from  the  habitations  of  men,  and  surrounded  only 
by  the  graveyard  and  a  few  little  houses  and  arbors,  erected  for 
the  couveuieuce  of  the  congregation,  who  come  from  such  a  dis- 
tance that,  in  some  instances,  they  take  their  whole  families 
with  them.  There  is  an  intermission  of  about  half  an  hour,  and 
this  interval  is  spent  by  the  whites  in  the  buildings  and  arbors 
around  the  church.  The  blacks,  meanwhile,  retire  with  theh 
leader  or  watchman,  to  the  woods,  where  they  are  reminded  of 
the  truths  to  which  they  have  been  attending,  by  one  of  their 
own  number,  whom  they  call  an  '  exhorter.'  I  preached  morn- 
ing and  afternoon  to  a  very  attentive  audience.  The  singing 
was  performed  in  the  old-fashioned  style,  and  without  any 
select  choir.  The  members  of  the  church  retain  the  primitive 
faith  which  their  ancestors  embraced,  and  are  extremely  fearful 
of  innovations.  There  are  about  sis  hundred  communicants, 
including  the  blacks,  and  the  ordinance  is  administered  once  in 
three  months.     The  blacks  have  watchmen,  as  they  are  called, 


1699.]  PROVINCIAL   TIMES.  101 

whose  duty  it  is  to  see  that  they  walk  cu'cumspectly ;  and  in 
case  of  deviation,  to  report  the  same  to  the  Church,  which  has 
ever  maintained  a  wholesome  discipline.  Thus  has  passed  this 
interesting  Sabbath,  which  may  truly  be  called  a  '  Peep  at  the 
Pilgrims,'  and  carries  one  back  in  feeling  to  the  early  settlement 
of  our  country,  when  the  church  was  indeed  in  the  wilderness, 
and  the  disciples  of  Christ  a  distinct  and  peculiar  people." 

A  committee  was  apjjointed  iu  1699,  consisting  of  John 
Bird,  Daniel  Preston,  Jr.,  and  Charles  Davenport,  to  lay 
out  the  thousand  acres  of  land  which  had  been  appropri- 
ated by  the  town  for  the  maintenance  of  a  fi-ee  school. 
This  "school  farm,"  as  it  was  called,  was  near  the 
Plymouth  Colony  line,  by  the  Bridgewater  Road,  half  way 
between  Boston  and  Taunton.  It  was  made  up  of  several 
different  lots  in  the  same  vicinity,  but  which  did  not 
connect  with  each  other. 

William  Brimsmead,  a  son  of  Dorchester  who  gained  a 
reputation  for  himself  away  from  his  native  town,  died  in 
1701.  He  was  one  of  the  students  at  Harvard  College 
who  rebelled  when  the  course  was  lengthened  from  three 
to  four  years,  and  left  without  obtaining  his  degree.  Tliis 
was  about  1657.  The  field  of  the  greater  part  of  liis 
labors  was  Marlborough,  where  he  accomplished  much  good 
by  preaching  the  gospel,  although  many  a  time  he  was 
forced  to  leave  liis  sermon  half-finished,  and  run  with  his 
congregation  to  the  fort  near  by,  to  obtain  protection 
against  the  Indians.  A  proof  of  his  good  work  is  the 
"  Brimsmead  Covenant,"  which  was  used  by  the  Marlbo- 
rough Church  with  but  a  few  verbal  changes  until  1837. 
One  of  Mr.  Brimsmead's  eccentricities  was  that  he 
refused  baptism  to  all  cliildi-en  born  on  Sunday.  He  died 
on  July  3,  and  is  characterized  as  a  "  well-accomj^lished 
servant  of  Christ." 

William  Stoughton,  the  most  prominent  citizen  Dor- 
chester had  yet  produced,  died  on  July  7th  of  the  same 
year.     He  was  the  son  of  Israel  Stoughton,  and  was  born 


102  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1701. 

September  30,  1631,  whether  in  EngLind  or  Dorchester  is 
not  detinitely  known.  He  received  his  education  at  Har- 
vard College,  graduating  in  1650,  and  he  then  went  to 
New  College,  at  Oxford,  to  extend  his  course.  In  1662 
he  lost  his  fellowship  through  the  restoration  of  Charles 
II.,  and  returned  to  New  England,  where  he  assisted  Mr. 
Mather  in  the  public  services.  He  was  distinguished  as  a 
preacher,  and  when  Mr.  Mather  died  he  was  six  times 
invited  to  become  his  successor.  For  "reasons  within 
himself  "  he  persistently  declined,  but  preached  the  election 
sermon  in  1668,  wliich  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the 
most  powerful  and  impressive  discourses  ever  delivered 
before  the  General  Court. 

Stoughton  was  well  known  from  liis  connection  with 
politics,  but  it  was  his  position  as  chief  justice  of  the  court 
before  which  the  witchcraft  trials  were  held  which  gave 
liim  notoriety  and  made  Mm  so  unpopular  with  many. 
His  colleague.  Judge  Sewall,  made  a  public  recantation  in 
the  Old  South  Church  for  the  part  he  had  taken  in  these 
trials,  but  Governor  Stoughton  refused  to  do  the  same, 
saying  that  he  had  acted  up  to  the  enlightenment  he  had 
at  the  time,  although  he  had  since  been  convinced  that  he 
had  been  in  the  wrong.  A  writer  in  "  Putnam's  Maga- 
zine "  for  September,  1853,  says,  "  Chief  Justice  Stoughton, 
after  the  delusion  was  over,  sent  a  note  to  the  pulpit  on 
Sunday  desiring  prayers  for  his  pardon,  if  in  any  way  he 
had  sinned  by  his  course  in  the  trials ;  and  as  it  was  read 
he  stood  up  in  his  pew,  showing  by  his  quivering  lip  the 
strong  feeling  within." 

Whether  this  is  true  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  Stoughton 
was  greatly  influenced  by  the  superstition  of  the  age,  and 
undoubtedly  acted  sincerely,  but  without  the  enlighten- 
ment one  would  expect  to  find  in  a  man  of  his  standing. 

Governor  Stoughton  was  a  large  land-owner,  and  was 
one  of  Dorchester's  wealthiest  citizens.  His  home,  on  the 
corner  of    Pleasant  Street  and  Savin    Hill  Avenue,  was 


1701.]  PKOVINCIAIi   TUIES.  105 

marked  by  two  large  elms  for  many  years  after  his  decease ; 
but  now  these  have  given  way  to  the  changes  of  time,  and 
the  spots  where  the  sturdy  old  governor  discussed  politics 
and  the  witchcraft  trials  are  now  the  witnesses  of  other 
scenes. 

Governor  Stoughton  was  a  friend  to  education,  and 
thi'ee  years  before  his  death  he  gave  £1000  of  Massachu- 
setts currency  to  Harvard  College,  with  which  to  erect  a 
dormitory.  The  original  buikling  was  torn  do\vn  in  1780, 
but  the  present  Stoughton  Hall  was  erected  to  take  its 
place.  A  further  bequest  of  land  was  made  in  his  will,  to 
"  Harvard  College  at  Cambridge,  the  place  of  my  iii-st  pub- 
lic education  (wliich  nursery  of  good  learning  hath  been  of 
inestimable  blessing  to  the  Chiu'ch  and  people  of  God  in 
this  \vilderness,  and  may  ever  continue  to  be  so,  if  the 
people  continue  in  the  favor  of  God)."  The  income  of 
this  was  to  go  toward  the  support  of  needy  students.  The 
Rev.  Samuel  Willard  of  the  Old  South  Church  preached 
Stoughton's  funeral  sermon  on  July  17,  1701,  and  he  was 
called  "  the  last  of  the  original  Puritans." 

The  estimates  of  Stoughton's  character  vary.  The  elabo- 
rate Latin  inscription  upon  his  tomb,  which  is  supposed 
to  have  been  written  by  Cotton  Mather,  and  modelled 
after  that  of  Blaise  Pascal,  the  famous  French  phil- 
osopher, eulogizes  him  in  a  manner  which  has  not 
found  a  response  in  the  writings  of  that  day  or  since. 
Palfrey,  for  instance,  refers  to  him  as  a  "  rich,  atrabilious 
bachelor,  one  of  those  men  to  whom  it  seems  to  be  a 
necessity  of  nature  to  favor  oppressive  and  insolent 
pretentions,  to  resent  every  movement  for  freedom  and 
humanity  as  an  impertinence  and  affront."  The  same 
writer  speaks  cf  him  again  as  "hard,  obstinate,  narrow- 
minded,"  having  a  "bull-dog  stubbornness  that  might  in 
other  times  have  made  him  a  St.  Dominic."  Palfrey 
admits,  however,  that  he  was  "  not  unconscientious  after 
his     own     dreaiy    way."        Quincy    describes    Governor 


106  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1701. 

Stoughton,  ill  his  "•  History  of  Harvard  University,"  as 
"  having  more  of  the  willow  than  the  oak  in  his  constitu- 
tion ; "  "  one  of  these  politicians  who  change  their 
principles  with  times,  and  shift  their  sails  so  as  to  catch 
every  favorable  breeze."  Another  writer  calls  him 
"  pudding-faced,  sanctimonious,  and  unfeeling."  No  one, 
however,  seems  to  question  the  excellence  of  his  admini- 
stration as  governor.  The  English  version  of  the 
inscription  referred  to  on  his  tomb  is  as  follows :  — 

Here  lies 
WILLIAM  STOUGHTON,  Esquire, 
Lieutenant,  afterwards  Governor,  * 

Of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  in  New  England, 
also 
Chief  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  in  the  same  Province. 
A  man  of  wedlock  unknown. 
Devout  in  Religion, 
Renowned  for  Virtue, 
Famous  for  Erudition, 
Acute  in  Judgment, 
Equally  Illustrious  by  Kindred  and  Spirit, 
A  Lover  of  Equity, 
A  Defender  of  the  Laws, 
Founder  of  Stoughton  Hall, 
A  most  Distinguished  Patron  of  Letters  and  Literary  Men. 
A  most  strenuous  Opponent  of  Impiety  and  Vice. 
Rlietoricians  delight  in  Him  as  Eloquent, 
Writers  are  acquainted  with  Him  as  Elegant, 
Philosophers  seek  Him  as  Wise, 
Doctors  honor  Him  as  a  Theologian, 
The  Devout  revere  Him  as  Grave, 
All  admire  Him  ;  unknown  by  AU 
Yet  known  to  All. 
What  need  of  more.  Traveller  ?     Whom  have  we  lost  — 
Stoughton  ! 
Alas  ! 
I  have  said  sufficient.  Tears  press, 
I  keep  silence. 
He  lived  Seventj'  Years  ; 
On  the  Seventh  of  Julv,  in  the  Year  of  Safety  1701 
lie  Died. 
Alas !  Alas !     What  Grief ! 

During  the  early  years  of  the  century,  the  town  was 
more  concerned  with  events  having  but  an  indirect  result 


1703.]  PROVINCIAL   TIMES.  107 

upon  its  welfare.  The  following  entries  on  the  Church 
Records  show  that  the  people  were  very  conversant  of 
what  was  taking  place  about  them :  — 

"  Febr.  1703  Captivated  from  Deerfleld,  the  Rev'' m"' John 
Williams;  &  96  more  but  killed  by  y"  French  &  Indians  52 
w'of  m"  Williams  one  «fe  some  of  y"'  Children  &  Eleven  Soul- 
diers  some  y*  were  sent  to  y''  Garison  oth"  (viz  5)  y*  came  in 
upon  y'  Alarum  &  14  men  more  Diverse  houses  bm-nt  about  50 
freneh  &  Indians  kill'd." 

"  April,  8,  1703.  A  publ:  Generall  Thanksgiving  for  Her 
Majestys  Successes  by  Sea  &  Laud  against  y*  French  &  Span- 
iards in  Europe  &  America,  many  Ships,  much  Treasure  & 
many  Towns  being  taken.  M"  .lohn  Earl  of  Marlborough  is 
Capt.  General  of  y*  Laud  forces  James  Duke  of  Ormond 
is  General  of  y''  Fleet  forces  &  S''  George  Rook  is  Admiral  of 
y^  Fleet ;  und''  o"'  Soveraign  Queen  Anne  who  came  to  y"  Throne 
March.  8.  1702.  But  before  y"  Late  King  William  y''  3^  of 
Glorious  Memory  died.  There  were  Sundry  Societys  Sett  up  for 
Reformatiou  of  Maune''s,  &  behold  y*  Smiles  of  Heaven,  upon 
y*  Same,  o''  Nation  being  on  a  Suddain  fllld  with  plenty  of 
Grain  &  plenty  of  Silver,  (y''  Plate  Fleet  being  taken,)  & 
plenty  of  Hono''  &  Victory,  So  That  y*  Queen  has  Invited  Her 
Subjects  in  y"^  plantations  in  America  to  Rejoyce  with  Her  &  so 
Return  Thanks  to  God." 

"May  18  1704  A  Province  Fast  by  Proclamation  &  there 
was  a  slaughter  &  Captivation  of  People  at  Northampton  six 
days  before." 

For  several  years  previous  to  1704  it  had  been  the 
practice  of  the  Church  to  pay  the  salary  of  the  minister 
by  voluntary  contributions.  The  amount  of  these,  how- 
ever, was  found  to  be  insufficient ;  and  Mr.  Danforth,  this 
year,  was  guaranteed  a  stated  sum,  to  be  raised  hj  a  special 
tax  if  the  contributions  still  proved  inadequate. 

The  proprietors  of  the  undivided  lands  made  several 
generous  gifts  in  1706.  During  this  year  Rev.  John 
Danforth,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Thacher  of  Milton,  were  admitted 
as  proprietors,  being  granted  two  hundi-ed  and  one  hundi-ed 


108  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1708. 

acres  respectively.  Seventy-five  acres  were  granted  to  the 
ministry  for  those  "  beyond  the  blue  hills,"  and  one  hun- 
di-ed  and  fifty  acres  to  Milton,  on  condition  that  a  grammar 
school  should  be  maintained  there  for  fifteen  years. 

The  town  voted,  the  next  year,  to  call  all  the  land 
belonging  to  Dorchester  wliich  lay  beyond  the  Blue  Hill, 
the  "New  Grant." 

In  1708  three  Ponkapoag  Indians,  William  Aliaton, 
Samuel  Mamantaug,  and  Amos  Ahaton,  by  name,  ap- 
peared in  behalf  of  their  tribe  to  thank  the  town  for  the 
interest  and  justice  shown  in  settling  the  boundaries 
between  them  and  the  white  settlers.  They  also  stated 
that  they  regretted  having  offended  the  town  by  "  leasing 
their  land  to  the  English,"  and  promised  to  lease  no  more. 
They  gave  up  their  right  to  the  land  about  the  Ponk- 
apoag meeting-house,  which  contained  some  three  acres, 
in  order  that  it  might  be  used  as  a  burying  place  and 
training  field.  This  is  one  instance,  at  least,  where 
the  Indians  showed  themselves  appreciative  of  kind  treat- 
ment, and  willing  to  come  half  way  in  straightening  out 
diiiBculties  between  themselves  and  their  neighbors. 

A  vote  was  passed,  in  1710,  to  grant  the  rights  to  them- 
selves and  their  heirs  forever  to  any  persons  who  should 
build  a  wharf  at  Wales's  Greek.  Two  years  later  Stand- 
fast Foster,  Ebenezer  Davenport,  Joseph  Hall,  Preserved 
Capen,  Nathan  Bradley,  Francis  Price,  Remember  Preston, 
Jonathan  Clap,  Ebenezer  IMoseley,  and  Humphrey  Atherton 
accepted  the  conditions.  The  town  then  laid  out  a  "  way 
for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of 
Dorchester,"  which  in  later  years  became  Creek  Street, 
running  east  from  Pleasant  Street,  opposite -the  house  of 
Samuel  Downer. 

During  the  next  year  (1713),  the  Dorchester  proprietors 
were  incorporated  into  a  body  distinct  from  the  town,  and 
were  thereafter  to  be  known  as  the  "  Proprietors  of  the 
Undivided  Lands."  The  organization  continued  to  exist 
for  nearly  forty  yeare. 


1715.1  PROVINCIAL   TIMES.  109 

There  had  been  difficulties  iu  regard  to  Dorchester's 
boundary  lines  for  many  years,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
town  extended  so  far  into  what  was  then  regarded  as 
the  wilderness.  During  this  year,  however,  agents  were 
apjjointed  by  the  different  towns  to  meet  in  Attleboro',  to 
search  for  the  boundaiies  which  had  been  determined  in 
1664.  With  the  assistance  of  some  of  the  old  inhabitants, 
the  ancient  "  angle-tree  "  was  found,  and  from  this  point  a 
line  was  run  to  Accord  Pond.  This  line  was  accepted  by 
all  except  the  agents  of  Attleboro'  aud  Norton,  who  refused 
to  acknowledge  the  so-called  "  angle-tree  "  as  the  original 
boundary  line ;  but  the  rest  of  the  towns  were  satisfied, 
and  the  matter  was  settled. 

The  first  lighthouse  in  Boston  Harbor  was  built  in  1715, 
on  the  southerly  2:)art  of  the  Great  Brewster,  on  the  location 
of  the  present  Boston  Lighthouse.  Fishermen  and  the 
masters  of  coasting  vessels  had  sorely  felt  the  need  of  a 
warning  light;  and  the  service  rendered  by  this  fii'st 
lighthouse  can  hardly  be  estimated. 

Elder  Hopestill  Clap  died  iu  1719.  He  was  a  brother  of 
Elder  Samuel  Clap,  and  was  an  influential  pillar  of  the 
Church.  The  appreciation  in  which  he  was  held  is  shown 
in  the  following  inscription  on  his  gravestone,  wliich  was 
written  by  the  Rev.  John  Danforth :  — • 

"  Here  lies  Inten-ed  y*  Body  of  Mr.  Hopestill  Clap,  who 
Deceased  Sepr.  2d,  1719,  aged  72  years. 

His  Dust  waits  'till  y«  lubily 

Shall  then  Shine  brighter  than  y*  Sky; 

Shall  meet  &  join  to  part  no  more, 

His  Soul  that 's  Glorified  before. 

Pastors  and  Churches  happy  be 

With  Ruling  Elders  such  as  he : 

Present  Useful,  Absent  Wanted, 

Liv'd  Desired,  Died  Lamented." 

Dorchester  did  not  escape  the  small-j)ox  pestilence  wliich 
visited  Boston  in  1721.  Eighty-two  persons  were  afflicted 
with  the  disease,  thirteen  of  whom  died.     It  was  during 


110  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1722. 

this  iDeriod  that  inoculation  was  introduced  into  the  vicinity 
of  Boston  by  Dr.  Zabdiel  Boylston.  The  process  had  not 
been  previously  tried  in  any  of  the  other  colonies,  and  it 
occasioned  great  excitement.  The  physicians  and  most  of 
the  clergy  were  bitterly  opposed  to  the  innovation,  but, 
strange  to  say.  Cotton  Mather  had  faith  in  its  efficacy  from 
the  start.  After  a  few  montlis,  the  selectmen  of  Boston 
forbade  inoculation  to  be  practised ;  but  its  utility  became 
evident  from  the  cases  already  tried,  only  six  patients  dying 
out  of  the  two  hundi-ed  and  eighty-six  cases  treated.  It 
was  therefore  used  until  vaccination  was  introduced  by 
Dr.  Jenner. 

Elder  Samuel  Topliff,  who  died  December  10,  1722,  was 
born  in  Dorchester,  May  7,  1646.  He  was  the  only  son  of 
Clement  Topliff,  who  came  to  Dorchester  and  settled  in 
Bowdoin  Street  about  1636.  Elder  Samuel  was  prominent 
in  church  and  town  affairs.  He  was  elected  elder  in 
1692,  and  presiding  elder  in  1701,  —  which  latter  office  he 
retained  until  liis  death.  He  filled  every  town  office  from 
constable  to  selectman,  including  that  of  town  clerk.  He 
was  one  of  the  "twenty  proprietors"  "incorporated  into 
a  distinct  body,  with  power  to  lay  out  and  fell  land,"  etc., 
in  the  grant  known  as  the  "  Ponkapoag  Plantation."  The 
records  of  the  First  Church  bear  ample  evidence  of  his 
activity  and  zeal. 

Increase  Mather,  son  of  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  cUed 
August  23,  1723 ;  he  was  born  in  Dorchester,  .lune  21, 
1639.  In  1689  he  was  sent  to  England  as  agent  of  the 
Massachusetts  Colony,  and  was  very  zealous  in  Ins  endeav- 
ors to  protect  the  interests  of  his  fellow-citizens.  As  is 
often  the  case  with  men  occupying  Mgh  positions,  he  was 
not  universally  popular ;  but  his  words  had  great  influence 
on  affairs  of  importance,  and  all  admired  his  great  abilities 
and  power  in  the  pulpit.  He  had  the  distinction  of  being 
the  iii-st  person  to  receive  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity 
from  Harvard  College. 


1726.]  PROVINCIAL   TIMES.  Ill 

Duiing  the  next  year  a  part  of  Wrentham  was  set 
off,  the  petition  asking  for  it  being  based  on  the  com- 
plaint from  the  people  of  that  locality  that  "  they  lye 
thirty  miles  from  the  old  meeting  house,  and  fifteen  from 
the  southern  meeting-house  at  Ponkapoag,  so  that  they  are 
under  great  disadvantage  for  attending  the  public  worship 
there." 

The  principal  event  of  the  year  1726  was  the  setting  off 
of  Ponkapoag  as  a  separate  township.  This  is  recorded 
by  Blake  as  follows:  — 

' '  This  year  Punkapaog  or  y"  South  Precinct  with  y^  Lands 
beyond  it  iu  y**  Township  of  Dorchester  were  sett  off  a  Town- 
ship by  themselues,  by  y*^  Name  of  Stoughtoa,  leaving 
Dorchester  but  a  Small  Town,  being  narrow,  and  but  about 
9  or  10  Miles  iu  length,  y'=  upper  part  being  wood  land  &  unset- 
tled ;  which  before  was  about  35  miles  in  length  &  in  some 
places  6  or  8  miles  wide ;  the  length  being  Reckoned  from 
Dorchester-neck  to  Angle-Tree,  as  y'=  Road  goeth."  ' 

The  good  people  of  Dorchester  came  very  near  believing 
that  the  year  1727  was  the  one  set  for  the  millennium. 
Late  in  the  night  of  October  29  a  violent  earthquake  did 
considerable  damage  to  buildings  and  fences,  and  rumbling 
noises  were  heard  for  several  months.  The  people  were 
terrified,  and  gathered  together  in  great  numbers  in  the 
large'  towns.  In  Boston  the  churches  were  crowded  with 
excited  people,  who  depended  on  their  ministers  to  post- 
pone the  di-eaded  day.  In  Dorchester,  Rev.  Mr.  Danforth 
preached  a  sermon  to  meet  the  occasion,  beginning  his 
discourse  with  the  words,  "  For  an  introduction  to  our 
following  discourse,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  say.  Rejoice 
not  for  joy,  O  New  England !  as  other  people ;  the  Lord 
has  known  and  owned  thee  above  all  the  families  of  the 
earth ;  and  therefore  he  will  punish  thee  for  tliine  iniqui- 
ties."   The  Rev.  Mr.  Danforth  was  a  man  of  very  mild  tem- 

1  Blake's  Annals  of  tlie  Town  of  Porchester,  p.  45  (1846). 


112  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1729. 

perament,  so  that  an  outburst  of  this  kind  shows  the  excite- 
ment under  which  the  people  hibored.  The  minds  of  the 
people  had  hardly  become  quieted  when  a  violent  storm 
again  raised  their  fears ;  but  when  nothing  more  serious 
happened  than  the  destruction  of  some  old  trees,  things 
again  settled  down  into  the  old  routine. 

In  1729  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Bowman  was  ordained  as 
colleague  with  Mr.  Danforth,  who  was  becoming  somewhat 
aged.  The  death  of  the  beloved  pastor  occurred  a  year 
later.  Mr.  Danforth  was  born  in  1660,  and  was  graduated 
from  Harvard  College  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  During 
his  long  service  to  the  town  he  proved  himself  to  be  a 
man  of  great  fidelity  and  worth.  Blake  makes  the  fol- 
lowing record  of  his  death:  — 

"  He  was  S^  to  be  a  man  of  great  Learning,  he  understood 
y"  Mathematicks  beyond  most  men  of  his  Function.  He  was 
exceeding  Charitable,  &  of  a  very  peacefull  temper.  He  took 
much  pains  to  Eternize  y"  Names  of  many  of  y*^  good  Chris- 
tians of  his  own  Flock ;  And  yet  y«  World  is  so  ungratefull  that 
he  has  not  a  Liue  Written  to  preserue  his  memory,  no  not  so 
much  as  upon  his  Tomb ;  he  being  buried  in  Lt.  Govr. 
Stough ton's  Tomb  that  was  covered  with  writing  before." ' 

All  who  recall  the  remarkable  ejjitaph  of  the  worthy 
governor  will  be  able  to  see  the  touch  of  irony  in  the 
annalist's  closing  remark.  Stoughton's  soul  would  un- 
doubtedly have  rested  just  as  quietly  had  room  been  left 
for  a  simple  inscription  for  the  gentle  minister. 

The  custom  of  ringing  the  bell  at  nine  o'clock  at  night 
was  inaugurated  in  1731.  The  Boston  bell  had  been  regu- 
larly tolled  at  that  hour  for  nearly  a  hundred  years,  and 
when  its  strokes  were  heard  every  one  was  supposed  to 
retui'n  home  and  extinguish  the  lights.  The  Common  in 
those  days  was  a  very  popular  place  in  which  to  stroll 
about  during  the  summer  evenings  ;  but  when  the  bell  was 

1  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  47  (1846). 


1734.]  PKOVTNCIAl,   TESIES.  113 

heard  the  people  quietly  and  obediently  tm-ned  their  steps 
homeward,  and  the  streets  were  practically  deserted.  The 
custom  of  ringing  the  bell  continued  for  nearly  another 
hundred  years,  and  many  good  citizens  to-day  remember 
the  time  when  it  was  in  vogue. 

The  town  found  great  difficulty  in  appointing  constables. 
The  two  qualities  considered  most  necessary  for  the  office 
were  discretion  and  reliability,  —  characteristics  which 
unfortunately  are  not  always  apparent  even  in  the  succes- 
sors of  these  worthy  officials.  The  position  was  a  much 
avoided  one,  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  decree  a  penalty 
against  those  who  refused  to  serve.  Many,  however,  paid 
their  tines  rather  than  accept  the  position,  so  that  at  last 
the  General  Com-t  gave  the  to^v:l  the  right  to  increase  the 
fine  to  £5.     In  Boston  the  penalty  was  £10. 

Under  the  date  of  1734  Blake  makes  an  interesting 
statement  in  regard  to  the  growth  of  the  town.  He  shows 
that  from  1657  to  tlus  year  there  had  been  2,416  births  and 
921  deaths,  proving,  he  says,  — 

"  That  many  of  y*  People  that  were  Born  iu  y"  Town  moved 
out  &  Died  not  here.  And  y'  number  of  Bhths  in  a  year  for 
40  or  50  years  past  were  not  many  less  than  they  are  now 
(except  when  Stoughton  also  belonged  to  this  Town),  which 
shows  y^  People  are  not  much  more  numerous  (if  any  thing) 
now  than  they  were  then.  And  in  Capt.  John  Capen's  time, 
there  is  left  a  list  of  Persons  Seated  in  y"  meeting-house  that 
now  is,  and  y^  number  of  men  then  Seated  were  171,  and  y° 
number  of  women  were  180  ;  which  seems  to  be  as  many  as 
can  sit  there  now."  ' 

The  slow  rate  of  increase  in  the  town's  population 
between  the  dates  mentioned  above  continued  down  to 
1800.  The  wars  were  responsible  to  a  certain  degree  for 
this  state  of  affairs,  but  the  cliief  cause  was  the  induce- 
ments offered  by  other  settlements.      Many  of  the   most 

1  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  49  (1846). 
7 


114  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTEK.  [1736. 

influential  men  who  claimed  Dorchester  for  a  birthplace 
had  moved  into  neighboring  colonies,  and  this,  while 
extending  the  usefulness  of  the  town,  was  prejucUcial  to 
its  best  interests. 

The  death  of  Elijah  Danforth,  M.  D.,  son  of  Rev.  John 
Danforth,  on  October  8,  1736,  brings  to  our  notice  the 
fact  that  there  is  no  record  of  any  resident  physician  at 
Dorchester  at  a  very  early  date,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
much  sickness  prevailed  here  during  the  fii'st  two  years  of 
the  settlement.  Dr.  Samuel  Fuller,  of  Plymouth,  writing 
to  Governor  Bradford  under  date  of  Juue  28,  1630,  says: 
"  I  have  been  to  Mattapan  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Warham, 
and  let  some  twenty  of  these  people  l)lood."  Dr.  Danforth 
was  one  of  the  earliest  phj-sicians  of  the  town,  having  lus 
residence  near  the  old  burying  ground.  He  was  graduated 
from  Harvard  College  in  1703.  Blake  says  that  he  was 
"  a  good  and  safe  Physician,  and  had  been  one  of  y'  Justices 
of  y°  Peace  for  y*  County  of  Suffolk  for  many  years 
together." 

In  1737  the  town  introduced  an  innovation  by  voting  to 
supply  the  school  with  wood.  Up  to  this  time  it  had  been 
the  custom  for  the  parents  or  guardians  to  furnish  it,  at 
the  rate  of  two  feet  for  each  pupil. 

We  have  seen  that  the  upland  was  laid  out  by  the  pro- 
prietors into  divisions,  by  parallel  lines  running  from  north 
to  south,  being  known  as  the  "•  Twelve  Divisions."  The 
swamps  and  low,  poor  lands  were  excluded.  On  the 
9th  of  May,  1737,  a  rule  of  proportion  was  made  to  four 
hundred  and  eighty  proprietors,  and  every  inhabitant  of 
the  town  had  each  Ms  proportion  according  to  the  rule. 
An  order  was  made,  January  16,  1738,  that  all  the  land  in 
Dorchester  should  be  cUvided  aecorcUng  to  said  rule  ;  and 
the  undivided  land  was  sold  to  pay  the  expenses  of  sur- 
ve>Tng  and  laying  out. 

Robert  Spur,  Esq.,  a  prominent  man  in  the  town,  died 
in  January,  1738.     He  had  filled  the  position  of  selectman 


1740.]  PKOVINCIAL  TIMES.  115 

for  eiglit  years,  and  had  been  representative  for  four 
years ;  he  was  also  a  lieutenant-colonel,  —  iu  all  of  wliich 
capacities  he  acquitted  himself  well.  He  was  exceedingly 
popular  with  the  townspeople,  but  the  church  authorities 
frequently  came  in  opposition  to  him  on  account  of  lois 
liberal  religious  views. 

Dorchester  lost  another  strip  of  land  in  1739,  "  several 
of  the  inhabitants  having  petitioned  to  be  set  off  to 
Dedliam." 

The  year  17-10  was  an  unusually  important  one.  It  was 
at  this  time  that  Rev.  George  Whitefield  came  from  Eng- 
land, whose  preaching  produced  such  a  sensation  in  the 
churches  of  Boston  and  its  vicinity.  The  effect  of  his  labors 
on  the  Dorchester  Church  is  referred  to  in  a  later  chaj^ter. 

The  winter  of  this  year  was  the  most  severe  one  wliich 
the  people  had  experienced  for  over  forty  years.  The  fall 
of  snow  was  unusually  heavj-,  and  the  cold  was  so  bitter 
that  even  Dorchester  Bay  was  solidly  fi-ozen.  This  made 
it  possible  for  a  track  to  be  laid  across  the  ice  to  Castle 
William,  which  was  much  used  for  pleasure  di-iving. 
Sledges,  loaded  with  hay,  came  up  from  Spectacle  Island. 

An  effort  was  made  about  this  time  to  introduce  the 
Manufactory,  or  Land  Bank  bills.  The  scheme,  however, 
was  abandoned  a  year  or  so  later,  occasioning  much  incon- 
venience to  those  who  had  been  induced  to  accept  the  bills. 

The  early  frosts  of  1740  were  largely  responsible  for  the 
scarcity  of  grain  during  the  succeeding  year.  Says  Blake, 
"  Wheat  sold  for  30'  per  bushel.  Rye,  22%  &  Indian  Corn 
for  20'  per  bushel  paper  Currency ;  which  is  about  one 
fourth  of  y°  Value  of  Proclamation  Money."  This  shorts 
age  in  the  supply,  together  with  the  increased  demands  of 
the  ever-growing  population,  caused  no  little  suffering 
among  the  people. 

On  June  29  and  30,  1743,  the  people  rejoiced  over  the 
raising  of  a  new  meeting-house,  which  was  by  far  the  best 
structure    the    Church   had   yet   erected.     It   cost   about 


116  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1744. 

$17,000,  old  tenor,  wliicli  was  a  most  liberal  allowance  for 
a  church  building  at  that  time.  The  occasion  was  marred 
by  a  sad  accident  to  one  of  the  young  men  who  was  assist- 
ing at  the  raising,  Ephraim  Wales  by  name,  who  fell  from 
one  of  the  cross-beams,  and  died  from  the  result  of  his 
injuries. 

A  second  earthquake  shock  visited  Dorchester  in  174-4. 
It  was  not  so  severe  as  that  of  1727  ;  but  it  was  enough  to 
shake  the  meeting-house  from  toj)  to  bottom,  and  to  cause 
a  wall  near  by  to  fall.  Several  chimneys  in  Boston  were 
also  thrown  down. 

Thomas  Tileston,  Esq.,  died  during  the  following  year. 
He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  town,  serving  in  many 
resjjonsible  positions.  He  was  selectman  for  twenty-four 
years,  representative  for  ten  years,  and  also  held  the  posts 
of  justice  of  the  peace  and  lieutenant-colonel. 

It  was  during  this  year  (1745)  that  the  famous  expedi- 
tion against  the  French  settlements  at  Cape  Breton  was 
made  by  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Blake  gives 
an  excellent  account  of  it :  — 

"This  year  y^  Province  of  y^  Massachusetts-Bay  having  y« 
■winter  before  Projected  au  Expedition  against  the  French  Set- 
tlements at  y"  Island  of  Cape  Britton,  and  Kaised  about  3000 
men,  with  several  Vessels  of  War,  Transports,  and  all  sorts  of 
Warlike  Stores,  with  y"  assistance  of  about  1000  men  more 
from  New  Hampshire,  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island  &c. ;  ours  set 
sail  from  Boston  y"'  •24th  of  March,  1744-5,  &  after  waiting  at 
Canso  for  y*^  Eemoval  of  y"^  Ice  arrived  at  Cape  Britton  y^  first 
day  of  May,  where  meeting  with  Commodore  Warren  with  about 
7  or  8  Men  of  War  that  were  Ordered  there  from  Several  parts, 
they  besieged  the  City  and  Forts  of  Lovisburgh ;  the  Men  of 
War  blocking  up  y'  Harbour,  and  takiug  many  Vessels  bound 
there,  some  of  them  from  y"  East  Indies  &  y^  South  Sea  ex- 
ceeding Rich,  and  among  y"  Rest  one  of  y"  French  Kings  Ships 
of  War  of  64  Guns  &  .'iOO  men,  called  y'^  Vigilant;  a  fine  new 
Ship :  and  y^  laud  army  at  y"  same  time  Cannonading  &  Bom- 
barding y"  Town,  which  held  out  till  y''  17th  of  June,  1745,  and 
then  Capitulated,  delivering  all  but  their  Personal  Estates  iuto 


1745.]  PEOVrNCIAL   TIMES.  119 

the  hands  of  y'  English,  and  were  themselves  transported  home 
to  France.  There  were  but  very  few  of  our  Men  slain  in  Battle 
Considering  y"  great  Strength  of  the  place  &  y*  desperateness 
of  y'^  adventure ;  but  after  om-  men  had  taken  Possession  of 
y"  City  &  Island,  a  mortal  Fever  Seized  them,  and  Continued 
all  y*  Summer  and  most  part  of  y^  Winter  following,  that  car- 
ried off  multitudes ;  most  that  went  from  hereabouts  that  I 
knew  either  died  there,  or  in  then-  passage  home,  or  soon  after 
they  came  home ;  'tis  said  there  died  of  our  New  England 
Forces  about  1500  men. 

"Our  Forces  kept  the  place  until  May  following  and  then 
were  Relieved  by  Forces  from  England,  except  those  that  Listed 
there.  Win.  Peperil  Esqr.  was  General  of  our  Land  Forces, 
who  for  his  good  sei-viee  was  made  a  Baronet,  and  both  he  & 
Govr.  Shu'ley  were  made  Colonels  of  the  two  Regiments  that 
were  to  be  raised  in  America,  &  Joyned  with  y*  old  English 
Forces,  for  y"  Garrisoning  &  defending  the  place.  A  more  full 
Account  (and  I  suppose  y"  best  Extant)  may  be  seen  in  Mr. 
Prince's  Printed  Sermon,  Preached  on  y'^  Thanksgi^'ing  Day  for 
that  Victory,  Thursday,  July  18,  1745." 

The  French  attempted  to  turn  the  tables  on  the  colonists 
during  the  next  year.  Excitement  was  rife  in  Boston  and 
vicinity,  and  an  attack  seemed  imminent.  It  is  from  the 
words  of  the  annalist  that  we  may  gain  the  best  idea  of 
the  threatened  danger,  and  the  miraculous  escape :  — 

"  This  Summer  &  Fall  proved  very  troublesome,  not  onlj'  by 
y^  Indians  (oftentimes  led  on  by  y"  French)  coming  in  many 
small  parties,  &  sometimes  in  Considerable  numbers  of  Several 
Hundreds,  &  falling  upon  our  frontier  Plantations,  from  East 
to  West,  and  Surprizing,  &  in  a  Barbarous  manner  (many 
times)  Butchering,  killing  &  leading  Captive  a  Considerable 
number  of  Men,  Women  and  Children,  (tho'  not  without  some 
loss  to  themselves)  ;  but  also  by  a  strong  French  Fleet  coming 
from  France  against  us,  consisting  of  about  30  Men  of  War,  & 
67  Transports,  besides  Land  Forces,  Forty  thousand  Arms,  25 
Mortars,  50  Brass  Field  Pieces  &c. ;  many,  &  I  suppose  y 
greatest  part  of  them,  arrived  at  Jebucta  in  Nova  Scotia  about 


120  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1746. 

y'  middle  of  September,  having  set  sail  from  Roehel  or  Rochford 
June  y*  11th.  There  being  also  about  2000  French  &  Indians 
assembled  at  Menis.  Fourteen  of  y*  Men  of  War  were  Ships 
of  y''  Line  from  50  to  74  Guns.  They  had  on  Board  about  8000 
Disciplined  Troops,  besides  those  assembled  at  Menis,  and 
many  more  of  y'  French  in  Nova  Scotia  would  have  Joyned 
them.  This  Powerful  Armament  spread  its  Terror  in  all  y' 
English  Northern  Colonies,  &  especially  in  y"'  Massachusetts  & 
New  Hampshu'e.  Great  preparations  were  made  to  Receive 
them  ;  as  Repah-ing  y'=  Batteries  at  Boston  &  at  Castle  William  ; 
and  the  work  was  Judged  so  necessary  that  it  was  prosecuted 
even  on  the  Sabbath  Days :  Hulks  were  prepared  to  stop  up 
y''  Channel  by  sinking  them  therein :  And  y"^  MOitia  iu  y'^  Coun- 
try (I  suppose  generally  about  one  half  of  y'^  Regiments)  drawn 
into  Boston  and  y"^  lower  Towns.  Great  Expectation  there  was 
of  Admiral  Lesstock  with  a  large  Fleet  from  England,  to  follow 
y'  Enemy  and  Relieve  us,  but  by  means  of  contrary  winds  that 
great  Expectation  &  our  high-raised  Hopes  failed  us.  But  tho' 
outward  means  failed  us,  yet  God  iu  his  Providence  was  pleased 
to  work  wonderfully  for  our  Presen-ation,  and  defeat  y'  well 
concerted  designs  of  our  Enemies,  and  to  turn  their  wise  Coun- 
sels into  foolishness.  He  sent  sickness  among  them  that 
carried  off  many  of  their  men,  &  then-  Chief  Commander  &  (I 
think)  y"  Second  also  died :  He  also  sent  Terrible  Storms  both 
before  their  Arrival,  &  after  their  Sailing  again  out  of  y"  Har- 
bour of  Jebucta,  that  Cast  away  some  of  their  Ships  &  disabled 
others,  so  that  being  dispirited  they  Returned  to  France  without 
striking  one  blow,  or  doing  anything  of  Consequence  (Except 
taking  some  Merchant  Vessels  upon  their  Passage)  and  that  in  a 
poor  shattered  condition ;  many  of  their  Vessels  as  well  as  Men 
coming  short  home.  For  which  deliverance  God's  name  be 
praised.  The  best  Account  of  this  Affair  that  I  know  of  is  in 
a  Thanksgiving  Sermon  Preached  by  Mr.  Prince,  Noat.  27, 
1746,  and  afterwards  Printed,  to  which  I  Refer.  This  year  an 
Expedition  was  formed  against  Canada,  &  many  Soldiers  in 
this  &  other  Provinces  Listed  for  y''  Kings  Service,  but  y"  Fleet 
in  England  designed  for  that  sersdce  being  Imployed  other 
ways,  the  Expedition  was  laid  aside,  &  y^  men  dismissed  in  y* 
fall  1747." 


1749.]  PKOVIKCIAL   TIMES.  121 

Two  years  later  a  cessation  of  arms  was  published,  and 
Dorchester  manifested  a  generous  spirit  in  sending  grain 
to  the  French  plantations.  The  liberality  of  the  colonists 
exceeded  their  wisdom,  however;  for  grain  became  very 
scarce  in  the  Province,  and  prices  rose  accordingly. 

Political  factions  were  not  unknown  even  in  those  early 
days.  At  the  town  meeting  held  in  1749,  a  combination 
was  formed  by  which  James  Blake,  who  had  served  the 
town  faithfully  for  twenty-four  years  as  clerk,  and  for  even 
a  longer  period  in  other  capacities,  was  left  entirely  out  of 
the  elections,  and  Noah  Clap,  A.  M.,  was  chosen  to  fill  liis 
place.  It  was  not  strange  that  Blake  should  feel  aggrieved 
at  this  lack  of  gratitude  on  the  part  of  the  town,  in  whose 
interests  he  had  labored  so  hard  and  so  long.  During  his 
connection  with  the  office,  he  wrote  two  hundi-ed  and 
eighty-thi-ee  pages  in  the  second  Record  Book,  and  one 
hundred  and  nineteen  pages  in  the  third  volume.  Besides 
this,  he  drew  out  laborious  tables,  which  have  proved  of 
inestimable  value  to  later  historical  students.  It  is  to  his 
writings  more  than  to  those  of  any  other  one  man  that 
a  Dorchester  historian  must  turn.  In  spite  of  his  dis- 
appointment, Blake  records  the  following  vivid  picture  of 
the  severe  di-ought  of  this  same  year,  which  was  felt  so 
keenly  by  the  people :  — ■ 

"  This  Summer  was  the  Severest  Drought  in  this  Country,  as 
has  ever  been  known  in  y*'  Memory  of  y^  oldest  Persons  among 
us.  It  was  a  dry  Spring,  and  by  y^  latter  end  of  May  the  grass 
was  burnt  up  so  that  y''  ground  looked  white ;  and  it  was  y''  6th 
Day  of  .July  before  any  Raiu  (to  speak  of)  came.  The  Earth 
was  dried  like  Powder  to  a  great  depth,  and  many  Wells, 
Springs,  Brooks  &  small  Rivers  were  dried  up,  that  were  never 
known  to  fail  before.  And  the  Fish  in  some  of  y"  Rivers  died. 
The  Pastures  were  so  scorched  that  there  was  nothing  green  to 
be  seen,  aud  the  Cattle  waxed  poor,  &  by  theh  lowing  seemed 
to  call  upon  then-  Owners  for  Relief,  who  could  not  help  them. 
Although  the  dry  Grass  was  Eaten  so  close  as  that  there  was 


122  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1749. 

but  a  few  thin  spii'es  to  be  seen,  yet  several  Pastures  took  fire, 
and  burnt  fiercely.  My  Pasture  took  fire  near  y''  Barn  (by  a 
Boys  droping  a  Coal  of  fire,  as  he  was  carrying  fire  to  y'  water- 
side) and  tho'  there  seemed  to  be  so  little  Grass,  yet  what  there 
was,  and  y'^  ground,  was  so  dry  that  it  blazed  and  flushed  like 
Gun-Powder,  and  run  very  fast  along  y*  ground,  and  in  one 
place  burnt  some  fence ;  and  we  were  forced  to  work  hard  to 
keep  it  from  y°  Barn,  &  to  extinguish  it ;  having  y'  help  of 
sundry  men  that  happened  to  be  here.  It  spread  over  about 
half  an  Acre  of  Ground  before  we  could  stop  it ;  and  where 
there  was  lumps  of  Cow-dung  it  would  burn  till  y'  whole  lump 
was  Consumed,  &  burn  a  hole  in  y''  ground ;  and  we  were 
force  to  use  much  water  to  quench  it.  There  was  a  great 
scarcity  of  Hay,  being  but  a  very  little  cut,  of  y'  first  Croj) ;  & 
salt  marsh  failed  near  as  much  as  the  English  Meadow.  English 
Hay  was  then  sold  for  £3  &  £3  10  old  tenor  per  Hundred. 
Barley  &  Oats  were  so  Pinched  that  many  had  not  much  more 
than  their  seed  again,  &  many  cut  down  their  S''  Grain  before 
it  was  ripe  for  Fodder.  Flax  almost  wholly  failed,  as  also 
Herbs  of  all  sorts ;  and  Indian  Corn  Rolled  up  &  wilted ;  and 
there  was  a  melancholly  prospect  of  the  greatest  Dearth  that 
ever  was  known  in  this  Land.  In  the  time  of  our  fears  & 
Distress,  the  Government  ordered  a  Day  of  Public  Fasting  & 
Prayer ;  and  God  was  graciously  pleased  to  hear  &  Answer  our 
Prayers,  even  in  a  very  remarkable  manner :  for  about  y*  6th  of 
July  the  course  of  y"  weather  altered ;  and  there  came  such 
plentiful  &  seasonable  Rains,  as  quite  altered  y"  face  of  y' 
Earth ;  and  that  Grass  which  we  generally  concluded  was 
wholly  dead,  and  could  not  come  again  under  several  Years, 
was  revived,  and  there  was  a  good  second  Crop  of  Mowing ;  it 
looking  more  like  y*  Spring  than  that  season  of  y"^  year :  and  y'* 
Indian  Corn  recovered,  &  there  was  a  very  good  Harvest.  And 
whereas  it  was  thought  in  y"  fall  of  the  Year  that  a  multitude 
of  Cattle  must  Die  for  want  of  Meat,  insomuch  as  they  sent  & 
fetched  Hay  from  England  ;  yet  God  in  his  Providence  Ordered 
us  a  moderate  Winter,  and  we  were  carried  comfortably  through 
it ;  and  I  did  not  hear  of  many,  if  any.  Cattle  that  died.  But 
by  reason  of  so  many  Cattle  being  killed  off  last  fall.  Beef, 


1751.]  PROVINCIAL   TI>IES.  123 

Mutton  &  Butter  are  now  in  May,  1750,  very  clear:  Butter  is 
7s.  6d.  old  tenor  per  Pound.  Upon  y''  Coming  of  y*  Rains  & 
Renewing  of  y'=  Earth  last  fall,  the  Government  appointed  a 
Day  of  Publick  Thanksgiving. 

"  This  Summer  June  18th  was  said  to  be  y''  Hottest  Day  that 
was  ever  known  in  ye  Northerly  part  of  America." 

The  famous  annalist  passed  away  on  December  4th  the 
following  year.  He  had  been  in  poor  health  for  some 
time ;  but  the  unfortunate  events  recorded  on  a  preceding 
page  caused  him  such  disappointment  that  they  probably 
hastened  his  death.  His  "Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dor- 
chester "  have  preserved  his  name  to  posterity,  and  he  will 
be  remembered  long  after  those  who  cast  this  slight  upon 
him  are  forgotten. 

An  entry  under  date  of  1751  is  of  esjaecial  interest, 
and  explains  several  apparent  inconsistencies  in  regard  to 
dates :  — 

"  This  Year  there  was  an  Act  of  Parliament  for  altering  y' 
Style  from  old  to  new,  and  that  y*  Ist  Day  of  January  should 
be  y'  first  Day  of  y**  Year.  The  1 1  Days  odds  were  taken  from 
Sepr.  1752." 

Previous  to  this  time  March  25th  had  been  considered 
as  tlie  first  day  of  tlie  year.  This  explains  the  confusing 
double  dates  which  are  often  found  in  regard  to  these  two 
periods. 

Sickness  again  visited  the  town  in  1752,  an  epidemic  of 
pleui'isy  and  nervous  fever  prevailing.  In  less  than  two 
months  fifteen  Dorchester  people  fell  victims  to  these 
chseases,  besides  those  who  died  from  other  causes.  Boston 
also  suffered  greatly  from  the  epidemic,  having  a  mor- 
tality of  624  in  a  population  of  15,734. 

An  effort  was  made  at  this  time  by  the  people  of  Attle- 
boro',  Norton,  and  Easton  to  liave  the  boundary  line  of  the 
town  altered.     A  petition  was  sent  to  the  General  Court, 


124  GOOD   OLX)  DOKCHESTEE.  [1753. 

which  was  opposed  by  Dorchester,  Stoughton,  and  Wren- 
tham.  Owing  to  the  opposition,  the  petition  was  cUsmissed. 
If  it  had  been  granted,  it  would  have  cost  Stougliton  and 
Wrentham  several  thousand  acres. 

On  June  18th  a  new  bell  ^  was  hung  in  the  meeting- 
house. It  was  a  gift  from  the  Dorchester  Proprietors  to 
the  town,  and  was  made  in  Bristol,  England.  This  bell  is 
still  in  use  in  the  belfry  of  the  First  Parish  Church, 
though  altered  by  having  again  passed  through  the  fire, 
recasting  being  made  necessary  by  a  crack  which  aj^peared 
in  it  a  few  years  ago. 

The  period  from  1753  until  1761  was  a  tranquil  one  for 
the  town,  being  broken  only  by  the  earthquake  shock 
of  1755,  wliich  caused  some  damage  in  Boston  and  its 
vicinity.  This  quiet  was  the  calm  before  the  storm.  The 
fuel  of  independence  had  already  been  gathered,  but  the 
spark  was  yet  to  be  applied. 

Dorchester  was  not  behind  Boston  in  the  part  she  took 
in  the  struggle  of  the  Revolution,  wliich  began  with  the 
passage  of  the  Stamp  Act.  In  1765  Colonel  John  Robinson, 
Dorchester's  representative,  was  instructed  "to  use  the 
utmost  of  his  endeavors,  with  the  great  and  general  court, 
to  obtain  the  repeal  of  the  late  parliamentary  act  (always 
earnestly  asserting  our  rights  as  free-born  Englishmen), 
and  his  best  skill  in  preventing  the  use  of  stamped  paper 
in  this  government."  Even  at  this  late  day,  we  may 
say,  the  thought  of  an  actual  rupture  with  England  had 
not  occurred  to  the  Province ;  for  further  instructions  to 
the  Dorchester  representative  advised  him  to  manifest,  on 
the  i^art  of  the  people,  their  "  utter  abhorrence  of  all 
routs,  riots,  tumults,  and  unlawful  assemblies;  and  if  the 
laws  now  in  being  are  not  suflScient  to  suppress  such  high 
misdemeanors,  that  you  use  your  skill  and  interest  in 
making  such  laws  as  would  answer  such  a  salutary  pur- 
pose." ^ 

'  See  page  240.  -  Dorchester  Town  Records,  vol.  iii.  p.  293. 


1768.]  PROVINCIAL   TIMEa.  125 

In  1768  the  popular  John  Hancock  was  charged  with 
smuggling  wine ;  but  as  it  was  evident  that  the  people 
would  resist  the  arrest,  it  was  postponed  until  the  arrival 
of  the  troops.  The  Marshal  of  the  Court  of  Admiralty, 
Arodi  Thayer  by  name,  was  then  called  upon  to  perform 
the  act.  Thayer  tried  to  escape  from  performing  the  dis- 
agreeable duty,  as  he  was  on  good  terms  with  the  residents 
of  the  town ;  but  he  was  obliged  to  obey  the  command  of 
his  superior.  He  was  well  known  to  Dorchester  people, 
as  he  was  a  resident  of  the  town  for  many  years  before 
his  death,  and  was  an  object  of  much  curiosity  on  account 
of  his  quaint  language  and  ch-ess.  His  commission,  and  a 
silver  oar,  his  badge  of  office,  were  deposited  mth  the 
Dorchester  Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society. 

When  the  General  Court  was  dissolved,  this  same  year, 
and  Boston  recommended  a  convention  of  the  Province, 
Dorchester  voted  "  to  choose  one  person  to  act  as  a  com- 
mittee in  convention,  with  such  committee  as  may  be  sent 
from  other  towns  in  the  province,  in  order  that  such  meas- 
ures may  be  consulted  and  advised  as  his  majesty's  service 
and  the  peace  and  safety  of  his  subjects  in  this  province 
may  require."  ^ 

The  next  year  (1769)  an  association  was  formed  wliich 
was  called  "the  Union  and  Association  of  the  Sons  of 
Liberty  in  tliis  Province."  A  meeting  was  held  at  the 
Liberty  Tree  in  Boston,  and  the  body  then  proceeded  to 
Robinson's  Tavern  in  Dorchester  to  dine.  A  huge  tent 
was  set  in  the  field,  underneath  which  over  three  hundi-ed 
men  seated  themselves  to  a  sumptuous  repast  of  barbecued 
pig.  Toast  followed  toast,  each  one  being  more  patriotic 
than  the  preceding ;  Ijut  the  climax  was  reached  when  one 
of  the  "  Sons  of  Liberty "  proj^osed  "  strong  halters,  firm 
blocks  and  sharp  axes  to  all  such  as  deserve  either."  The 
English  of  the  expression  is  a  trifle  doubtful,  but  the 
meaning  was  extremely  clear. 

'  Dorchester  Town  Records,  vol.  iii.  p.  333. 


126  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1770. 

When  the  feasting  was  over,  a  procession  was  formed, 
headed  by  John  Hancock  in  his  chariot.  The  affair  was 
carried  througli  with  perfect  decorum,  and  in  spite  of  the 
huge  number  of  fifty-nine  toasts  which  were  drank,  we 
are  informed  that  "not  one  person  was  intoxicated,  or 
near  it." ' 

In  1770  resolutions  were  passed  by  Dorchester  to  the 
effect  that  no  articles  were  to  be  purchased  of  those  traders 
in  Boston  who  had  violated  the  non-importation  agreement. 
The  people  also  resolved  that  "  Whereas  a  duty  has  been 
laid  on  foreign  tea,  we  will  not  make  use  of  it  in  our 
families,  except  in  case  of  sickness,  till  the  duty  is 
repealed."  ^ 

Tliiee  years  later,  on  January  4,  the  town  responded 
to  the  exposition  of  the  rights  of  America,  wliich  was 
drawn  up  by  a  committee  consisting  of  twenty-one  of  the 
citizens  of  Boston.  Nine  resolutions  were  adopted  by 
Dorchester,  which  instructed  the  town's  representatives 
"  to  join  in  any  motion  or  motions  in  a  constitutional  way, 
to  obtain  not  only  retkess  of  the  aforementioned  griev- 
ances, but  of  all  others,  and  that  they  in  no  wise  consent 
to  give  up  any  of  our  rights,  whether  from  natui-e  or  by 
compact."  ^ 

As  the  year  came  to  a  close,  affairs  approached  nearer  to 
the  crisis.  The  tlifficulties  arising  from  obnoxious  taxation 
came  to  a  practical  issue  when  a  duty  was  placed  upon  tea. 
Lord  North  had  said  to  those  who  remonstrated  with  him, 
"  It  is  of  no  use  making  objections,  for  the  king  will  have 
it  so.  The  king  means  to  try  the  question."  ■*  When  it 
was  learned  in  Boston  that  two  or  three  cargoes  of  tea 
were  soon  to  arrive,  a  committee  called  upon  the  con- 
signees, and  requested  them  to  refuse  to  accept  the  goods ; 

1  Jolin  Adams's  Diary. 

2  Dorchester  Town  Records,  vol.  iii.  p.  352. 

3  Ibid.  p.  380. 

'  Bancroft's  History,  vol.  vi.  p.  465. 


I 


1770.]  PKOVLNCIAL   TIMES.  129 

but  the  proposition  was  not  kindly  received.  Further 
action  was  left  to  the  discretion  of  a  Committee  of  Corres- 
pondence appointed  by  the  people.  On  November  22, 
the  committees  which  represented  Dorchester,  Koxbury, 
Brookline,  and  Cambridge  met  the  Boston  committee  in 
the  selectmen's  room  at  Faueuil  Hall,  and  voted  unani- 
mously to  prevent  the  landing  and  sale  of  the  tea. 

Six  days  after  this  important  meeting,  the  "  Dartmouth," 
the  first  of  the  tea  ships,  arrived.  Samuel  Adams  imme- 
diately called  the  committees  together  again,  to  meet  the 
citizens  of  Boston  in  Faueuil  Hall.  This  was  the  famous 
gathering  which  was  adjourned  to  meet  in  the  Old  South 
Church,  at  which  a  decisive  vote  was  passed,  supporting 
the  committees  in  their  proposed  action.  On  November 
30,  a  meeting  was  held  in  Dorchester,  resolutions  being 
passed  to  the  effect  that  "should  this  country  be  so 
unhappy,  as  to  see  a  day  of  trial  for  the  recovery  of  its 
rights,  by  a  last  and  solemn  ajipeal  to  Him  who  gave  them, 
we  should  not  be  behind  the  bravest  of  our  patriotic 
brethi-en,  and  that  we  will  at  all  times  be  ready  to  assist 
our  neighboi's  and  friends,  when  they  shall  need  us,  though 
in  the  greatest  danger."  ^  A  few  days  later,  two  more  tea 
ships  arrived ;  and  the  committees  already  mentioned, 
together  with  one  which  now  represented  Charlestown, 
held  frequent  meetings.  The  tea  question  became  compli- 
cated. The  committee  again  urged  the  consignees  to  return 
the  obnoxious  article ;  the  Collector  refused  to  clear  the 
ships  until  they  had  discharged  the  tea;  the  Governor 
would  not  allow  them  to  pa-ss  the  Castle  until  they  were 
cleared.  There  seemed  to  be  no  peaceable  settlement  of 
the  difficulty,  so  the  committee  took  the  matter  into  its 
own  hands.  It  was  then  that  the  famous  Boston  Tea 
Party  occurred. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  event,  a  number  of  the  "  Cape 
or  Narragansett  Indians "  visited  the  house  of  Captain 
'  Dorclieoter  Town  Records,  vol.  iii.  p.  407. 


132  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1775. 

attention  of  the  British  officers  from  the  first ;  but  to  erect 
fortifications  there  with  safety  required  a  larger  force  than 
they  then  had  at  their  command.  Wliile  they  were  wait- 
ing for  reinforcements,  General  Washington  recognized  the 
value  of  the  position,  and  work  was  begun  immediately. 
This  foresight  on  the  part  of  Washington  undoubtedly 
saved  Boston  from  destruction. 

Washington  went  to  Dorchester  to  map  out  the  work, 
and  selected  the  farm  of  Captain  John  Homans  from 
which  to  obtain  the  bundles  of  white  birch  fagots,  to 
be  used  in  building  the  fort.  This  material  was  chosen 
as  the  ground  was  frozen,  and  any  attempt  to  erect 
earthworks  would  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
British.  More  than  this,  it  was  of  utmost  importance 
that  operations  should  be  pushed  with  the  greatest  pos- 
sible speed. 

A  detachment  of  a  lieutenant  and  thirty  men  was 
detailed  to  cut  the  fagots  and  make  them  into  bundles, 
while  the  citizens  of  Dorchester  and  neighboring  towns 
assisted  by  carting  the  bundles  to  the  Heights.  It  is  said 
that  no  less  than  three  hundred  teams  were  used  that  night 
under  the  direction  of  James  Boies  of  Dorchester  and  Mr. 
Goddard  of  Brookline.  Strict  orders  were  given  that  no 
word  should  be  spoken  above  a  whisper ;  and  the  attention 
of  the  British  was  directed  to  Cambridge  and  Roxbury, 
where  a  constant  cannonading  was  going  on.  It  seems 
almost  incredible  that  the  fortifications  should  have  been 
completed  in  so  short  a  time.  General  Washington  was  so 
sure  that  the  act  would  bring  on  a  battle  that  he  had  two 
thousand  bandages  j^repared.  When  the  morning  broke, 
and  the  British  saw  what  the  brave  patriots  had  effected, 
admiration  for  their  pluck  and  energy  made  them  forget 
for  a  moment  that  it  was  the  work  of  the  enemy.  "  The 
rebels  have  done  more  in  one  night,"  said  General  Howe, 
"than  my  army  would  have  done  in  a  whole  month." 
Again,  in  a  letter  to  Lord  Dartmouth,  he  said,  "  It  must 


1776.]  PEOVDSrCIAL   TIMES.  133 

have  been  the  employment  of  at  least  twelve  thousand 
men." 

The  location  of  Nook's  Hill,  an  elevation  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  Heights,  was  an  important  one  for  a  battery, 
because  of  its  jaroximit}'  to  Boston.  It  rose  more  than 
fifty  feet  above  the  sea,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  both 
the  British  General  Howe  and  General  Wasliington.  The 
Continental  Army  made  the  first  move,  however,  and,  on 
March  9,  1776,  General  Washington  sent  a  detachment  to 
begin  operations. 

It  was  a  bitterly  cold  night,  and  after  working  for  a 
few  hours  the  soldiers  had  almost  perished.  Their  suffering 
made  them  forget  for  a  moment  the  utmost  importance  of 
pursuing  their  work  secretly,  and  they  raslily  started  a  fire, 
around  which  they  endeavored  to  thaw  out  their  benumbed 
limbs.  The  smoke  and  the  fire  immediately  disclosed  their 
position  to  the  British  in  Boston,  and  a  severe  cannonading 
was  the  result.  It  was  from  the  British  battery  located 
near  what  is  now  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Dover 
Streets  that  the  principal  fire  was  directed;  and  four 
soldiei-s,  besides  a  surgeon  named  Dole,  paid  for  their 
imprudence  with  theii-  lives. 

The  next  day  a  council  of  war  was  held  in  Roxbury,  at 
the  headquarters  of  General  Ward ;  and  after  thoroughly 
discussing  the  perils  of  the  work  it  was  decided  that 
"  Nook's  Hill  must  and  shall  be  fortified  at  all  hazards." 
As  a  result  of  this.  General  Thomas  was  sent  from 
Roxbuiy  with  twenty-five  hundred  men,  to  take  possession 
of  Dorchester  Heights.  It  was  moonlight,  and  the  men 
worked  all  night  without  discovery.  By  morning  an 
excellent  cover  had  been  thrown  up,  and  the  fortifications 
were  complete.  As  soon  as  tliis  was  discovered,  Howe 
determined  to  attack  the  Heights  by  a  front  and  flank 
movement.  Washington  reinforced  Thomas,  and  at  the 
same  time  arranged  to  move  on  Boston  by  boats  across  the 
Back  Bay.     The  British,  on  their  part,  dropped  down  on 


134  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1776. 

transports  to  the  Castle ;  but,  fortunately  for  the  Ameri- 
cans, a  storm  delayed  their  jjrojected  attack,  and  gave 
time  to  increase  the  defences. 

General  Howe  now  saw  that  occupation  of  the  Heights 
by  the  British  was  out  of  the  question,  and  also  that  to 
remain  in  Boston  was  perilous  when  the  Continental  Army 
had  entire  command  of  Boston  Neck  and  the  south  end  of 
the  town ;  he  therefore  decided  to  evacuate  Boston.  Gen- 
eral Burgoyne  had  suggested  the  occupation  of  the  Heights 
by  the  British  very  soon  after  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill, 
and  told  Gage  and  Howe  in  June,  1775,  that  if  the  Royal 
Army  was  ever  forced  to  evacuate  Boston,  it  would  be 
owing  to  the  possession  of  Dorchester  Heights  by  the 
"  rebel "  army. 

The  selectmen  of  Boston  had  agreed  to  allow  Howe  to 
leave  the  town  unmolested,  provided  he  did  no  injury  him- 
self ;  and  he  was  now  in  a  position  to  accept  these  terms. 
Washington  had  not  agreed  to  them,  but  acquiesced 
silentlj'.  The  American  general,  however,  wished  liim 
to  leave  immediately,  so  pushed  his  batteries  nearer 
Boston  from  the  Dorchester  side,  at  Nook's  Hill.  This 
was  sufficient  to  sliow  Howe  the  need  of  being  expeditious. 
At  daybreak,  on  the  17th  of  March,  he  began  to  embark 
liis  troops,  and  by  nine  o'clock  the  last  vessel  was  filled. 
The  number  on  board  these  sliips  included  about  eleven 
thousand  able-bodied  seamen,  and  nearly  a  thousand 
refugees. 

The  advance  guards  of  the  Continental  Army  at  once 
entered  the  British  works  on  the  several  sides,  but  the 
ships  were  allowed  to  sail  down  the  harbor  unmolested. 
That  night  the  British  blew  up  Castle  William ;  and  the 
vessels  gathered  together  in  Nantasket  Roads,  remain- 
ing there  ten  days,  and  causing  Wasliington  no  little 
anxiety.  He  wrote  to  Quincy,  at  Braintree,  to  have 
all  the  roads  from  the  landing  patrolled,  lest  the  British 
should  send  spies   into   the  country.      By   the    27th  all 


1776.]  PROVINCIAIi  TIMES.  135 

but  a  few  armed  vessels,  which  remained  to  see  that  no 
assistance  should  be  rendered  the  Americans  by  any  foreign 
power,  had  sailed  to  Halifax.  There  was  little  need  of 
leaving  beliind  as  many  vessels  as  they  did,  as  one  or  two 
would  have  been  entirely  sufficient  to  jjrevent  any  mischief 
of  tliis  kind ;  but,  as  a  writer  has  since  said,  "  A  fatality,  a 
kind  of  absurdity,  or  rather  stupidity,  marked  every  action 
of  the  British  commanders-in-chief  during  the  whole  of  the 
American  war." 

Had  the  attack  been  made,  Washington  relied  upon 
Thomas  to  hold  the  Heights,  while  he  himself  would  have 
made  an  assault  on  the  western  side.  He  had  two  divisions 
of  troops  ready  at  the  mouth  of  the  Charles  River,  wliich 
comprised  four  thousand  men  under  the  command  of 
Greene  and  Sullivan.  Greene's  division  was  to  have 
landed  near  where  the  Massachusetts  General  Hospital 
now  stands,  and  Sullivan's  farther  south,  at  the  powder- 
house,  and  to  seize  the  hill  on  the  Common.  If  these 
divisions  were  successful,  they  were  to  unite,  march  upon 
the  English  works  at  the  Neck,  and  let  in  the  troops  from 
Roxbury.  Three  floating  batteries  were  to  precede  them, 
and  clear  the  way  in  advance. 

A  great  town  meeting  was  held  in  Dorchester,  on  May 
23,  1776,  to  decide  what  stand  should  be  taken  in  support- 
ing the  actions  of  the  Continental  Congress.  This  was  at 
best  a  mere  formality,  as  Dorchester  had  made  it  evident 
that  any  measure  which  tended  toward  liberty  would 
receive  its  unqualified  support.  However,  the  sentiment 
of  the  meeting,  "  that  if  the  Continental  Congress  should 
think  it  best  to  declare  an  independency  with  Great 
Britain,  we  will  support  them  with  our  lives  and  fortunes," 
settled  any  doubts  which  might  have  existed.  When  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  was  made  six  weeks  later,  it 
was  transcribed  in  full  on  the  Town  Records. 

This  was  by  no  means  the  only  meeting  held  by  the 
tovm  during  the  stirring  times  of   the  Revolution.     Most 


136  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK.  [1777. 

of  them,  however,  were  for  the  single  purpose  of  uiging 
men  to  enlist  in  the  army.  Dorchester  was  asked  to  fur- 
nish men  to  go  to  New  York,  Canada,  Rhode  Island,  Long 
Island,  Peekskill,  West  Point,  and  on  other  expeditions ; 
and  the  town  exerted  itself  to  its  utmost  to  answer  the 
calls.  In  1777  a  bounty  of  one  hundred  dollars  was 
offered  by  the  town  to  eveiy  man  who  would  enlist  for 
three  years,  in  addition  to  the  regular  wages  paid  by  the 
colonies.  Large  bounties  were  also  offered  those  who 
enlisted  for  shorter  periods.  To  meet  these  exjjcnses,  it 
was  found  necessary  to  authorize  the  treasurer  to  borrow 
money,  and  many  of  the  townspeople  assisted  by  giving 
from  their  personal  estates.  Some  of  them  went  so  far, 
indeed,  that  they  actually  suffered  from  their  liberality, 
not  being  able  to  obtain  even  the  necessities  of  life.  All 
this  was  borne  with  the  characteristic  fortitude  and  cour- 
age which  the  Dorchester  people  had  displayed  from  the 
first.  The  part  taken  by  the  wives  and  daughters  in 
encouraging  the  efforts  of  the  men,  urging  them  to  stand 
by  the  cause  of  liberty  and  right  in  spite  of  everything,  is 
worthy  of  more  than  passing  mention,  as  it  had  no  little 
bearing  oh  the  determined  attitude  assumed. 

In  1777  a  third  of  the  men  above  sixteen  years  of  age 
were  enrolled  in  the  army,  and  the  proportion  was  largely 
increased  as  hostilities  became  more  open.  It  is  estimated 
that  not  less  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  served  in  some 
capacity  during  the  war,  and  several  of  the  townspeople 
took  an  important  part  in  the  struggle. 

The  following  list  contains  the  names  of  the  members 
of  the  Dorchester  company,  which  assembled  on  April  19, 
1775,  the  day  of  the  battle  of  Lexington.  This  list,  and 
the  succeeding  ones,  are  taken  from  the  "  History  of  Dor- 
chester "  (1859) :  — 

Captain  Oliver  Rillino;s.  Sergeant  Timothy  Baker. 

Lieutenant  Lemuel  Clap.  Sergeant  Henry  Humphreys. 

2nd  Lieutenant  Edward  Glover.  Corporal  John  Billings. 

Ensign  Ebenezer  Glover.  Corporal  Thomas  Bird. 


1777.3 


PROVINCIAL   TUIES. 


139 


Ebenezer  Atherton. 
John  Atherton. 
James  Baker,  Jr. 
Samuel  Belcher. 
John  Billings. 
Lemuel  Billings. 
Ebcn  Bird. 
Elijah  Bird. 
Jacob  Bird. 
Jonathan  Bird. 
Samuel  Bird. 
Samuel  Blackman. 
Samuel  Champney. 
Elisha  Clap. 
Ezra  Clap. 
Jonathan  Clap,  Jr. 


Nathaniel  Clap. 
Lemuel  CoUin. 
Samuel  Cox. 
Samuel  Crosby. 
Isaac  Davenport. 
Joseph  Davenport. 
Paul  Davis. 
Francis  De  Luce. 
Daniel  Fairn. 
Jesse  Fenno. 
Jonathan  Fessenden. 
Ale.xander  Glover. 
Ezra  Glover. 
Elisha  Glover, 
.losiah  Glover. 
Paul  Hall. 
John  Hawse. 


Asa  Horton. 
Jeremiah  Hunt. 
James  Kilton. 
Ebenezer  Maxfield. 
Elijah  Pope. 
IClijah  Pope,  Jr. 
Ralph  Pope. 
Noah  Torrey. 
John  Vaughn. 
Joshua  Williams. 
Thomas  Williams. 
Ichabod  Wiswall. 
Elijah  Withington. 
Joseph  Withington. 
Joseph  Withington,  Jr. 
James  Wood. 


In  addition  to  tlie  names  given  above,  the  following 
persons  from  Dorchester  served  in  the  war  in  some 
capacity :  — 


John  Ackleag. 
William  Adams. 
Isaac  Allen. 
Samuel  Allen. 
Samuel  Allen,  Jr. 
Ebenezer  Atherton. 
John  Atherton. 
Thomas  Baker. 
Israel  Beals. 
Lemuel  Billings. 
Daniel  Bird. 
Edward  Bird. 
Henry  Bird. 
Henry  Bird,  Jr. 
Jacob  Bird. 
Jonathan  Bird,  .Jr. 
Joseph  Bircl. 
Thomas  Binl. 
John  Blackman. 
Samuel  Blackman. 
James  Blake. 


Jonathan  Blake. 
Lemuel  Blake. 
Nathaniel  Blake. 
Samuel  Blake. 
AVilliam  Blake. 
Jonathan  Bradley. 
Nathan  Bradley. 
Bernard  Capen. 
Ephraim  Capen. 
John  Capen,  Jr. 
Samuel  Champney. 
Abner  Clap. 
David  Clap,  Jr. 
Ebenezer  Clap. 
Ebenezer  Clap,  Jr. 
Ezra  Clap. 
Jonathan  Clap,  Jr. 
Nathaniel  Clap. 
William  Cole. 
Samuel  Coolidge. 
David  Crane. 


Seth  Crane. 
Samuel  Crehore. 
Benajah  Davenport. 
George  Davenjiort. 
Isaac  Shaw  Davenport. 
Joseph  Davenport. 
Josiah  Davenport. 
Samuel  Davenport. 
Ebenezer  Davis. 
Pearson  Eaton. 
.Joseph  Ellis. 
William  Farris. 
Enoch  Fenno. 
John  Fling. 
John  Foster. 
John  Foster,  Jr. 
Stephen  Fowler. 
Stephen  Fowler,  tertius. 
John  Gamsby. 
Alexander  Glover. 
Edward  Glover. 


140 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


[1777. 


James  Gooley. 
James  Green. 
Rufus  Gulliver. 
Peletiah  Hall. 
William  Harris. 
William  Hayden. 
Thomas  Holman. 
Samuel  Homans. 
Lemuel  Horton. 
Andrew  Hughs. 
James  Humphrey. 
Nathaniel  Humphrey. 
William  Humphrey. 
Joseph  Hunt. 
Oliver  Jackson. 
John  Jenkins. 
Ezekiel  Johnson. 
John  Johnson. 
Thomas  Jones. 
Ebenezer  Kilton,  Jr. 
James  Kilton. 
John  Kilton. 
Samuel  Kilton. 
Lemuel  King. 
Edward  Stow  Leeds. 
Josiah  Leeds. 
Nathan  Leeds. 
James  Lewis. 
Benjamin  Lyon. 
Lemuel  Lyon. 
Ebenezer  ilaxfield. 


James  il'Clary. 
John  Mellish 
Hezekiah  Read  Miller. 
Hezekiah  R.  Miller,  Jr. 
Jeremiah  MTntosh. 
Bartholomew  Moor. 
Jonathan  Nash. 
Peter  Niles. 
Jonathan  Packard. 
Thomas  Phillips. 
John  Phips. 
Lemuel  Pierce. 
Napthali  Pierce. 
Elijah  Pope. 
Benjamin  Pratt. 
Samuel  Preston. 
Jacob  Randall. 
Samuel  Randall. 
John  Richmond. 
Capt.  John  Robinson. 
Jonathan  Sever. 
James  Sherman. 
Lemuel  .Spur. 
Daniel  Stoddard. 
Clement  Sumner. 
Rufus  Sumner. 
Micha  Symouds. 
George  Taylor. 
Jazaniah  Thayer. 
Samuel  Thayer. 
Willi.am  Thompson. 


Ezekiel  Tileston. 
Elijah  Tolman. 
Thomas  Tolman. 
Nathaniel  Topliff. 
Reuben  Tory. 
William  Trescott. 
John  Trescott. 
Benjamin  Trott. 
Andrew  Turner. 
Joseph  Turner. 
John  Vaughan. 
George  Vose. 
William  Vose. 
Ebenezer  Wales. 
John  Wales. 
Nathaniel  AVales. 
John  Waters. 
Joseph  Whiston. 
Noah  WTiitcomb. 
Noah  Whiteomb,  Jr. 
Moses  White. 
Thomas  White. 
Joseph  Williams. 
Thomas  Williams. 
Abraham  Wilson. 
John  Wiswall. 
Edward  Withington. 
Capt.  John  Withington. 
Lemuel  Withington. 
Samuel  Withington. 


When  the  town  called  for  volunteers  to  enlist  for  the 
reinforcement  of  the  Continental  Army,  on  July  4,  1780, 
offering  them  £2.50  per  month,  in  the  depreciated  currency, 
these  additional  names  were  enrolled  :  — 


Samuel  Babcock. 
Prince  Darby. 
Ezra  Kimbel. 
Charles  King. 
Thomas  Smith. 
Elisha  Spur. 


James  Spur. 
Cesar  Thacher. 
James  Tileston. 
Timothy  Wales,  —  in 

Col.  Cram's  reg.  of 

Artill. 


Samuel  White. 
Thomas  White. 
William  White. 
John  Wiswall,  Jr. 


1777.] 


PROVINCIAL   TIMES. 


141 


Among  those  who  enlisted  in  Captain  Lemuel  Clap's 
company  are  the  following.  The  preceding  lists  contain 
the  names  of  many  others  who  served  in  this  company : 


Samuel  Andrews. 
William  Badcock. 
David  Baker, 
(ieorge  Baker. 
Redmon  Barry. 
Alpheus  Bates. 
Elisha  Bates. 
Elisha  Bates,  Jr. 
Seth  Beals. 
Edward  Berry. 
Lemuel  Billings,  Jr. 
Aaron  Bird. 
Comfort  Bird. 
Edward  Bird,  Jr. 
Isaac  Bird. 
Jonathan  Bird. 
Joseph  Bird,  Jr. 
Lemuel  Bird. 
Moses  Blackman. 
Samuel  Blackman. 
William  Blaney. 
Zeohariah  Bostwick. 
Christopher  Capen. 
John  Capen. 
Thomas  Carriel. 
David  Clap. 
Edward  Clap. 
Ezekiel  Clap. 
John  Clap. 
Jonathan  Clap. 
Lemuel  Clap. 
Lemuel  Clap,  Jr. 
Nathaniel  Clap. 
Samuel  Clap. 


Supply  Clap. 
Thomas  Clap. 
Lemuel  Collyer. 
Zebulon  Crane. 
AVilliam  Crouch. 
Isaac  Davenport. 
Nehemiah  Davis. 
Francis  De  Luce. 
Benjamin  Dickerman. 
Paul  Draper. 
John  English. 
Daniel  Fairn. 
Edward  Felt. 
William  Foster. 
Samuel  Giles. 
Enoch  Glover. 
Enoch  Glover,  Jr. 
Nathaniel  Glover. 
John  Goff, 
John  Ilawes. 
Jacob  Hayward. 
Nathaniel  Healey. 
Thomas  Hewitt. 
Jonas  Humj)hrey. 
Gershom  Jackson. 
Ebenezer  Kilton. 
Thomas  Leeds. 
Joshua  Lovell. 
David  Lyon. 
Eliphalet  Lyon. 
Joseph  M'Lellan. 
Ephraim  Mann. 
William  Mann. 
John  Maxfield. 


John  Meraw. 
Samuel  Meraw. 
William  Meraw. 
Ebenezer  Mosley. 
Samuel  Mosley. 
Thomas  Mosley. 
Silas  Niles. 
Joseph  I'ayson. 
Samuel  Pay  son. 
Ebenezer  Pierce. 
Samuel  Pierce. 
Joshua  Pond. 
David  Pratt. 
David  Richards. 
Elisha  Seaver. 
William  Sharp. 
Thomas  Shed. 
Benjamin  Stratton. 
Timothy  Tileston. 
Edward  Tucker. 
John  Wales. 
Jonathan  Wales. 
Josiah  Ward. 
Joseph  Webb. 
James  White. 
John  Wigheu. 
John  Williams. 
Ephraim  Wilson. 
Ichabod  Wiswall. 
Oliver  Wiswall. 
Ebenezer  Withington. 
James  AVithington. 
Joseph  Withington. 
Joseph  Withington,  Jr. 


The  town  held  a  meeting  July  12,  1779,  and  voted  to 
support  the  measures  advocated  at  a  meeting  held  in 
Boston  a  month  before.     This  was  for  the  purpose  of  fix- 


142  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1780. 

ing  prices  on  the  principal  articles  of  trade,  and  to  prevent 
the  depreciation  of  the  Continental  currency.  All  efforts 
to  prevent  the  latter  catastrophe  were  to  no  avail. 

In  1780  the  town  could  enlist  no  more  volunteers,  and 
drafting  had  to  be  resorted  to  in  order  to  raise  the  4,726 
men  required  by  a  law  passed  June  22.  If  any  man 
was  drafted  who  was  unable  to  serve,  or  who  did  not 
pass  muster,  he  was  to  hire  some  able-bocUed  man  to  take 
his  place,  or  else  pay  a  fine  of  fl50.  This  fine  was 
not  excessive  when  the  depreciation  of  the  Continental 
currency  is  taken  into  consideration.  On  December  26 
it  was  voted  to  raise  £40,000  to  purchase  beef  for  the 
army.  The  treasurer's  reports  show  the  following  remark- 
able entry,  which  further  shows  the  depreciation  :  "  There 
being  due  the  treasurer  the  sum  of  £8,218  2s.  4d.,  or 
£109  lis.  6d.  in  specie." 

In  spite  of  the  terrible  hardships  incident  to  the  war, 
there  was  a  bright  side  to  the  conflict.  We  are  apt  to 
think  of  these  early  patriots  as  looking  entirely  on  the 
serious  side  of  things ;  so  important  was  the  part  they 
played,  and  so  severe  the  chfficulties  which  opposed  them. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  these  very  things  bound 
them  closer  together,  and  gained  them  friendships  which 
were  as  enduring  as  they  were  delightful.  Particularly  is 
this  true  of  the  men  who  stood  side  by  side  in  the  battles 
of  the  Revolution.  The  following  anecdote  shows  that 
in  one  instance  at  least  these  friendships  had  also  a  hu- 
morous side.  Two  Dorchester  soldiers,  John  Blackman 
and  Joseph  Whiston,  fought  together  at  West  Point,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  war  were  discharged  together.  They 
had  a  long  journey  to  take  on  foot  before  they  could 
reach  home,  and  little  ready  money  at  their  disposal. 
After  much  deliberation  they  purchased  together  one 
canteen  full  of  rum,  and  started  for  Dorchester.  As 
Blackman  was  the  youngest,  he  claimed  that  he  felt  it  his 
duty  to  carry  the  canteen.     He  soon  outwalked  his  fellow- 


1780.]  PROVINCIAL   TIMES.  143 

txaveller,  who,  seeing  liim  upon  a  hill  in  advance,  called 
to  him,  and  suggested  that  he  wait  a  few  moments,  so 
they  could  have  a  drink  together.  Blackman  replied  that 
he  would  stop  at  the  next  house,  where  he  could  obtain 
water.  When  the  house  was  reached  Whiston  found  the 
water,  but  no  rum,  as  liis  comrade  had  not  waited  for  him. 
He  hurried  on  after  him,  and  occasionally  came  witliin 
hailing  distance  of  Blackman,  but  always  received  the 
same  reply,  that  he  would  stop  at  the  next  house.  It  is 
needless  to  say  that  he  never  kept  liis  word,  and  the  dis- 
tance between  West  Point  and  Dorchester  was  covered  in 
this  novel  manner.  Blackman  kept  out  of  liis  angry  com- 
rade's way  as  long  as  possible  ;  but  one  day  they  met  in 
Roxbury,  and  Whiston  asked  him  to  explain  his  conduct, 
and  deliver  over  half  the  rum.  Blackman  replied  that 
there  was  no  rum  left,  as  he  had  drank  it  all,  and  more 
than  that,  there  had  not  been  half  enough  as  it  was. 
Whiston  then  asked  him  if  he  would  not  pay  liim  for  his 
share  ;  but  the  reply  was,  "  No,  I  think  I  earned  it  by 
carrying  it." 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  together  with  their  other  dis- 
charged comrades,  the  Dorchester  soldiers  returned  to 
their  homes.  Many  of  them  were  in  jjoor  health,  and 
more  were  almost  penniless ;  but  their  efforts  had  been 
rewarded  by  victory,  and  they  cared  little  for  their  imme- 
diate condition,  so  long  as  liberty  had  been  obtained. 

The  exciting  incidents  of  the  years  immediately  preced- 
ing and  during  the  Revolution  are  likely  to  make  us  forget 
that  other  events  had  been  taking  place  in  Dorchester, 
which,  while  not  as  important  as  those  which  have  recently 
claimed  our  attention,  still  have  no  small  bearing  upon  the 
history  of  the  town.  While  we  are  waiting  for  Dorchester 
to  settle  down  after  the  terrible  strain  it  had  just  j^assed 
through,  let  us  take  a  brief  look  backwards. 

In  1773  the  Church  became  involved  in  a  controversy 
with  its  pastor.  Rev.  Mr.  Bowman,  which  resulted  in  his 


144  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1780. 

dismissal  after  a  ministry  of  nearly  forty-four  years,  and 
Rev.  Moses  Everett  was  chosen  his  successor.  In  1776  a 
census  was  taken  of  the  town,  which  showed  that  there 
were  291  families  and  1550  persons  within  the  limits.  A 
year  later,  in  the  midst  of  the  troubled  times  of  the  Revo- 
lution, the  town  ordered  a  general  inoculation  to  prevent 
small-pox.  Certain  houses  of  the  inhabitants  were  selected 
for  hospitals,  and  all  persons  who  desired  to  be  inocidated 
were  to  present  themselves  at  one  of  the  places  designated. 
Dr.  Phineas  Holden  was  in  charge  of  the  patients.  Dr. 
Holden  was  a  sou  of  Dr.  William  Holden,  who  began 
business  in  Dorchester  soon  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Elijah 
Danforth.  He  continued  liis  practice  in  the  town  until 
his  death  in  1819. 

The  second  period  of  the  history  of  the  town  closes 
with  the  records  of  one  hundi-ed  and  fifty  years.  If  the 
events  of  the  first  period  were  important  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  the  Colony,  of  what  greater  importance 
were  the  transactions  of  the  second  period,  which  made  it 
possible  for  the  people  to  enjoy  the  noble  labors  of  their 
ancestors.  The  town  was  now  a  part  of  a  Common- 
wealth, wliich,  in  turn,  was  a  section  of  a  great  Republic, 
whose  principles  were  founded  upon  liberty  and  indepen- 
dence. A  change  more  mighty  than  any  preceding  one 
had  come  over  the  people,  blending  their  characteristics 
into  a  powerfid  force,  which  made  them  a  new  race  :  — 

"  Behold  !  in  Liberty's  unclouded  blaze 
We  lift  our  heads,  a  race  of  other  days." 


CHAPTER   III. 

FROM  THE  REVOLUTION  TO   THE  REBELLION.    1784-1860. 

HE  tliird  period  of  this  narrative  history 
brings  the  records  of  the  town  witliin  the 
memory  of  the  present  generation.  The 
early  years  are  unimportant  from  an  exter- 
nal standpoint,  but  from  witliin  can  be  seen 
the  immediate  struggle  to  recover  from 
the  unjjrecedented  strain  the  people  had  passed  through. 
The  early  hardships  had  been  almost  too  great  to  be 
endured ;  the  French  and  Indian  wars  had  made  the  set- 
tlers feel  anxious  and  depressed;  sickness  and  pestilence 
had  stricken  down  many  of  the  most  valuable  citizens; 
but  never  before  in  its  history  had  the  resources  of  the 
town  been  drawn  upon  so  heavily  for  supplies  and  men  as 
during  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  The  recovery  was 
naturally  slow  and  tedious.  The  loss  of  so  large  a  pro- 
portion of  the  male  population  seriously  crippled  the 
industries,  and  made  it  necessaiy  to  make  extra  exertions 
to  supjjort  the  widows  and  children  of  those  who  had 
fallen  during  the  war. 

Scarcely  had  the  town  made  an  appreciable  gain  in 
repairing  the  damages  of  the  momentous  struggle  when  it 
was  called  upon  to  do  its  part  in  putting  down  Shays's 
Rebellion,  which  in  1787  threatened  serious  consequences. 
The  response  was  prompt,  and  a  large  number  of  men 
were  sent  to  the  front.     The  followinsf  are  the  names  of 


146 


GOOD   OLD  DORCHESTER. 


[1787. 


the  sokliei-s  in  the  coraijany  of  artillery  commanded  by 
Captain-Lieutenant  Thomas  Williams,  wliich  served  under 
the  orders  of  Hon.  Major-General  Lincoln.  These  lists 
are  taken  from  the  "  History  of  Dorcliester  "  (1859)  :  — 


Capt.  Lt.  Thomas  Williams. 
2d  Lieut.  John  Swift. 
2d  Lieut.  Aaron  Bird. 
Serg't  Nathaniel  Winship. 
Serg't  David  Pratt. 
Serg't  Jame.s  Lewis. 
Bombardier  Daniel  Stoddard. 


Bombardier  Samuel  Griggs. 
Bombardier  Elisha  Crnne. 
Bombardier  Edward  Clap. 
Fifer  Thomas  Hereman. 

Drummer Organ. 

Mattross  Royal  Shepherd. 
!Mattross  Ebenezer  Davis. 


Edmund  Baker. 
Eliakim  Blackman. 
Edward  Bodge. 
John  Brewer. 
Thaddeus  Brewer. 
John  Clap. 
Elisha  Crane. 
Stephen  Davis. 
John  Dove. 
Isaac  Fen  no. 


Edward  Glover,  Jr. 
Samuel  Glover. 
John  Goffe,  Jr. 
Solomon  liall. 
Samuel  Ilolden,  Jr. 
Edward  S.  Leeds. 
William  Maurough. 
Thomas  Mayo. 
John  Mears,  Jr. 
William  i\Iellen. 


Samuel  Mosley. 
Samuel  Murdock. 
Daniel  Russel. 
Ebenezer  Scott. 
Richard  Trow. 
David  Waitt,  Jr. 
Joseph  Whittemore. 
Daniel  Wiswall. 
William  Withington. 


A  still  larger  number  of  Dorchester  soldiers  enlisted  in 
Captain  James  Robinson's  company,  wliich  belonged  to  the 
regiment  commanded  by  Ezra  Badlam,  Esq.  The  list  is 
as  follows :  — 


Capt.  James  Robinson. 
Lieut.  Thomas  Mosley. 
Lieut.  Jacob  Gill.* 
Serg't  Maj.  Nathan  Leeds. 
Q.  M.  S.  James  Davenport 
Serg't  John  Trescott. 
Serg't  Nath'l  Keyes.* 

Samuel  Badcock.* 
James  Baker. 
Moses  Belcher.* 
Shepherd  Bent.* 
John  Bird. 
Lemuel  Blackman. 
Samuel  Capen. 


Serg' 
Serg' 
Corp 
Corp, 
Corp, 
Corp 
Coll. 


Ebenezer  Clap. 
John  Clap. 
Lemuel  Collier. 
Samuel  Clap,  Jr. 
Luther  Crane* 
Vose  Crane.* 
Zibe  Crane.* 


t  Isaac  Thornton.* 
t  Wm.  Chambers. 
George  Manning. 
.  John  Withington. 
.  Daniel  Withington. 
.  John  Atherington. 
Clerk  Richard  Trow. 

John  Cox. 
Edward  Cyson. 
Ebenezer  Daniels. 
Joseph  Fenno.* 
IMichael  Field. 
John  Garch.* 
Alexander  Glover. 


1793.]     FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        147 

John  Hall.  William  Morris.  Eleazer  Thayer. 

William  Harding.  Samuel  Payson.  Josiah  Thompson. 

Abel  Hersey.  Abraham  Pierce.  Joseph  Turner. 

James  Holden.  James  Richards.  Alexander  Vose.* 

Silas  Hoten(Stoughton).  Samuel  Richards.*  Jotham  Wheelwright. 

John  Rouse  Huchings.  Thomas  Robinson.  John  White. 

David  Johnson.  James  Spur.  Robert  White. 

James  Jones.  Jesse  Sumner.*  Samuel  WiUiams.* 
Peter  JIcElroy. 

Those  marked  with  au  asterisk  (*)  are  supposed  to  have  been  from  Milton. 

After  the  war  affairs  again  settled  down  into  the  old 
routine.  Nothing  of  great  moment  occurred  until  in  1793, 
when  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris  became  pastor  of 
the  Church.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  and 
important  service  to  the  town.^ 

In  1794  Dorchester  voted  an  allowance  of  .£12  toward 
purchasing  a  house  for  the  fire  engine,  which  had  been  ob- 
tained a  short  time  before.  This  act  marks  the  beginning 
of  the  Dorchester  fire  department.  An  appropriation  was 
also  made  for  an  almshouse,  which,  with  some  additions, 
was  used  until  the  town  was  annexed  to  Boston.  As  will 
be  seen  later,  when  this  important  event  took  place  the 
almshouse  was  without  a  single  inmate. 

The  death  of  Noah  Clap,  A.  M.,  April  10,  1799,  removed 
a  man  who  had  been  closely  connected  with  the  interests 
of  Dorchester  for  nearly  fifty  years.  He  was  one  of  the 
early  schoolmastei-s,  and  it  is  to  the  chapter  on  Dorchester 
schools  that  his  biography  properly  belongs.^ 

The  only  duel  ever  fought  within  the  limits  of  the  town 
occurred  in  June,  1801.  Two  friends.  Miller  and  Rand  by 
name,  were  walking  together  one  day,  when  the  conversa- 
tion suddenly  turned  upon  a  young  lady  who  was  a  mutual 
friend.  Miller  jokingly  accused  Rand  of  being  in  love, 
who  became  very  serious  about  the  matter,  and  hot  words 
followed.  A  challenge  was  issued  by  Rand  the  next  morii- 
i  See  p.  241.  2  See  p.  318. 


148  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1801. 

ing,  which  was  reluctantly  accepted  by  Miller,  who  i^ro- 
tested  that  Rand  had  no  right  to  make  so  serious  a  matter 
of  what  had  been  said  in  jest. 

It  was  a  pleasant  Sunday  morning  when  the  two  young 
men  met,  with  their  seconds,  at  Dorchester  Point.  Another 
appeal  was  made  to  Rand  by  Miller  and  liis  second  to  settle 
the  trouble  in  some  other  way,  but  all  to  no  avail.  The 
distance  was  paced  off,  and  a  coin  tossed  for  the  advantage  ; 
Rand  won,  and  chose  &st  shot.  At  the  signal  Rand  took 
a  quick  aim  and  fu-ed,  but  Miller  escaped  injury.  Even  at 
this  late  time  Miller  made  a  last  appeal  to  his  opponent, 
not  wishing  to  fire  himself ;  but  Rand  made  an  insulting 
reply,  and  insisted  that  the  conditions  of  the  duel  be  fol- 
lowed out.  Miller  then  took  careful  aim  at  Rand's  right 
arm ;  but  as  the  pistol  rang  out  Rand  swayed  to  the  right, 
and  received  the  bullet  through  the  heart. 

The  survivors  made  all  haste  to  leave  the  place ;  and 
when  they  reached  the  Five  Corners  they  reported  that 
there  was  a  man  at  Dorchester  Neck  who  was  in  distress, 
and  who  wanted  some  water.  In  spite  of  the  strangeness 
of  the  request,  the  earnestness  of  the  men  induced  several 
persons  to  go  to  the  Point,  and  there  the  facts  were  dis- 
covered. There  was  great  excitement  over  the  event ;  but 
as  the  blame  seemed  to  rest  mostly  on  Rand's  shoulders. 
Miller  was  never  called  to  account  for  his  deed. 

In  1803  Messrs.  H.  G.  Otis,  Jonathan  Mason,  William 
Tudor,  Gardiner  Greene,  and  several  other  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Boston  began  to  urge  the  annexation  of  Dorchester 
Neck  to  the  city.  This  was  the  first  step  of  the  many 
which  were  afterwards  taken,  resiilting  finally  in  the  annex- 
ation of  the  entire  Dorchester  limits.  As  is  often  the  case, 
the  project  was  opposed  by  both  sides ;  the  Boston  people 
passing  a  vote  that  if  "  Dorchester  Neck  shall  be  annexed 
to  Boston,  the  Boston  aldermen  shall  be  empowered  to  lay 
out  such  streets,  public  squares,  and  marketrplaces  as  they 
shall  judge  necessary,  without  compensation  to  the  owners 


1804.]      FROM   THE   KEVOLUTION   TO   THE   KEBELLION.       149 

of  the  land."  The  land-holders  on  the  Neck  favored  the 
annexation,  as  it  was  foreseen  that  such  a  step  would  raise 
the  value  of  land ;  but  all  the  rest  of  the  Dorchester  people 
were  not  in  favor  of  the  proposed  step. 

On  January  23, 1804,  a  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Ebenezer  Wales,  Stephen  Badlam,  John  Howe,  Samuel 
Withington,  James  Robinson,  Ebenezer  Tolman,  Lemuel 
Crane,  Thomas  Moseley,  and  Edward  W.  Baxter,  was 
chosen  by  the  town  to  remonstrate  with  the  General  Court; 
but  it  was  voted  that  there  was  no  objection  to  the  con- 
struction of  a  bridge.  Offers  as  high  as  twenty  thousand 
dollars  were  made  by  the  land-holders  and  petitioners  if 
the  Dorchester  people  would  withdraw  their  opposition; 
but  they  were  then  determined  in  their  opposition.  Thus, 
when  the  bill  passed  the  Legislature,  March  6,  1804,  those 
who  had  held  out  not  only  had  to  give  up  the  land,  but 
also  lost  the  money  which  they  might  have  received. 

Almost  at  once  the  effect  of  the  annexation  was  felt  by 
those  who  held  property.  Land  kept  rising  until  it  reached 
a  value  hitherto  unknown  in  the  to^vn ;  and  when  the 
bridge  from  the  Neck  to  Boston  became  assured,  the  price 
of  land  was  nearly  ten  times  as  much  as  before  the  annex- 
ation. This  bridge,  also,  brought  forth  a  most  violent  con- 
troversy in  regard  to  its  location ;  but  in  1805,  in  spite  of 
this,  it  was  completed  at  an  expense  of  fifty-six  thousand 
dollars.     It  was  afterwards  known  as  the  South  Bridge. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  bridge  was  built  between 
Dorchester  Neck  and  Boston  that  a  new  project  was  set  on 
foot  wliich  proved  no  small  undertaking  for  the  time  when 
it  was  carried  through.  It  was  seen  that  if  a  turnpike  was 
built  between  Milton  Lower  Mills  and  the  easterly  end  of 
the  bridge  it  would  be  of  great  value  in  shortening  the 
distance.  Several  gentlemen  of  means  joined  together,  and 
the  turnpike  was  successfully  completed.  The  expense, 
however,  proved  more  than  was  anticipated ;  and  it  was 
found    necessary  to    charge    a  larger   toll  than  was    ori- 


150  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1806. 

giiially  intended,  and  this  at  once  made  the  new  road 
unpopular.  For  years  the  majoiity  of  people  preferred  to 
travel  the  extra  distance  through  Roxbmy  rather  than 
submit  to  any  payment  for  passing  over  the  "  tmnpike." 
The  shares  fell  tremendously  in  their  value,  and  the  stock- 
holders were  glad  to  dispose  of  their  interests  for  almost 
nothing.  Those  who  had  courage  enough  to  invest  in  the 
shares  at  their  reduced  price  received  large  returns,  as  the 
value  was  much  increased  when  the  turnpike  was  finally 
made  free  by  private  subsciiption  in  1854.  In  1856-57  a 
track  for  horse-cars  was  laid  on  this  street.  It  was  later 
accepted  as  a  public  highway  by  the  town,  and  is  the 
present  Dorchester  Avenue. 

Until  1806  all  Dorchester  had  worshipped  in  the  same 
chiu-ch ;  as  emigration,  disease,  engagements  with  the 
Indians,  and  other  causes  had  kept  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants so  reduced  that  one  "meeting-house"  was  sufficient. 
A  year  previous  to  this  date,  however,  the  j)eople  realized 
that  the  population  required  better  accommodations,  and 
preparations  were  made  to  establish  another  church.  This 
resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  present  Second  Church. ^ 

The  War  of  1812  has  left  few  reminders  to  call  the  atten- 
tion of  the  rising  generation  to  the  fact  that  at  that  time 
the  good  people  of  Dorchester  really  feared  the  English 
men-of-war  might  enter  Dorchester  Bay.  A  company  was 
formed,  and  fortifications  were  hastily  tin-own  up  on  the 
Savin-Hill  side  of  the  harbor,  commanding  the  channel  for 
quite  a  distance. 

Little  by  little  this  embankment,  which  fortunately  was 
never  called  into  use,  has  been  levelled  as  builcUngs  have 
been  erected  along  Savin  Hill  Avenue,  either  from  indif- 
ference or  ignorance  on  the  part  of  the  builders.  But  one 
piece  of  it  now  remains,  which  may  be  seen  from  the  road, 
almost  at  the  extremity  of  Savin  HUl  Avenue.  It  is 
1  See  p.  249. 


1813.]      FEOM  THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   KEBELLIOK.       151 

o-rown  over  with  grass,  and  looks  peaceable  euougli ;  but 
who  knows  what  scenes  of  heroism  and  patriotism  might 
have  been  enacted  there,  had  the  English  had  the  temerity 
to  enter  the  channel  of  our  harbor ! 

The  war  found  many  bitter  opponents  in  Dorchester, 
and  there  were  often  occasions  when  strong  party  feeling 
was  displayed.  For  a  wliile,  a  regiment  from  the  western 
part  of  the  State  was  stationed  at  Commercial  Point. 

In  1813  the  peoijle  of  the  town  were  thrown  into  a  state 
of  excitement  by  the  report  that  the  "  Chesapeake  "  and  the 
"  Shannon,"  one  of  the  British  blockaders  of  the  Halifax 
squach'on,  were  engaged  in  battle  juist  outside  of  Boston 
light.  Captain  Lawrence,  of  the  "•  Chesapeake,"  had  just 
been  promoted  for  liis  valor,  and  was  now  to  take  part  in 
his  last  engagement.  The  "  Shannon  "  was  commanded 
by  Captain  Blake. 

Captain  Lawrence  did  not  have  time  to  put  his  men  in 
good  training,  and,  moreover,  the  "  Chesapeake "  had 
gained  a  reputation  among  the  superstitioas  sailors  of 
being  an  unlucky  vessel.  Worse  than  all,  some  of  his 
men  were  mutinous ;  but  in  spite  of  this.  Captain  Law- 
rence accepted  Captain  Blake's  challenge,  and  the  ves- 
sels came  into  position  to  pour  their  broadsides  into  each 
other. 

The  "Chesapeake  "  was  soon  dismasted,  and  fell  foul  of 
the  "  Shannon's  "  forechains.  In  fifteen  minutes  from  the 
time  the  first  shot  was  fired.  Captain  Lawrence  was 
mortally  wounded,  and  Captain  Blake  was  in  possession 
of  the  vessel.  The  American  flag  was  torn  down,  and  the 
British  ensign  run  up  in  its  place ;  and  the  "  Shannon  " 
sailed  away  for  Halifax  with  its  prize,  having  the  dying 
Captain  Lawrence  on  board.  There  is  some  discrepancy 
as  to  the  exact  location  where  this  combat  actually  took 
place ;  some  claiming  that  it  was  off  Hingham,  and  others, 
that  the  scene  was  further  up  toward  the  harbor.  The 
late  Mrs.  Roswell  Gleason,  however,  always  claimed  that 


152  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1813. 

all    at    her   house,    on    Washington    Street,   near   School 
Street,  saw  the  smoke  distinctly. 

Some  ten  years  ago,  an  old  veteran  by  the  name  of 
Benjamin  Trefethen  issued  the  following  circular,  which 
gives  an  account  of  the  affair  as  it  appeared  to  a  partici- 
pant :  — • 

"Boston,  Oct.  22,  1881. 

"  I,  Benjamin  Trefetheu,  of  Boston,  in  the  County  of  Suffolk, 
and  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  born  on  Newcastle  Island, 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  January  18th,  1790,  and  since  1828, 1  have 
resided  in  Boston,  Mass.  In  the  year  1812  I  shipped  to  serve 
on  board  the  frigate  '  Chesapeake,'  then  lying  in  Nantasket 
Roads,  in  the  harbor  of  Boston,  and  went  on  board  December 
9,  1812. 

"  The  '  Chesapeake '  was  at  that  time  commanded  by  Captain 
Samuel  Evans.  I  shipped,  with  five  others,  in  Portsmouth, 
by  Lieutenant  Budd,  and  came  immediately  to  Boston.  The 
last  of  May,  1813,  the  frigate  '  Shannon,'  commanded  by 
Captain  Brooke,  made  her  appearance  off  Boston  Harbor. 

"  On  the  first  day  of  June,  the  '  Chesapeake,'  commanded 
by  Captain  James  Lawrence,  who  succeeded  Captain  Evans, 
got  under  way  and  proceeded  down  the  harbor  under  full  sail, 
to  meet  the  '  Shannon,'  then  standing  in.  The  '  Shannon ' 
very  soon  tacked  and  stood  off.  "When  in  the  offiug  near 
Marblehead,  between  two  and  three  o'clock,  p.m.,  as  near  as 
I  can  recollect,  the  action  commenced.  The  '  Chesapeake '  had 
the  weather  gage,  and  engaged  the  '  Shannon,'  the  guns  on  our 
larboard  side  bearing  upon  the  starboard  side  of  the  '  Shannon.' 
We  were  so  near  that  I  cannot  say  which  fired  the  first  gun. 
As  we  passed  the  '  Shannon '  we  fired  two  broadsides.  I 
belonged  to  the  third  gun  on  the  spar  deck,  and  while  looking 
to  see  the  effect  of  the  shots,  a  cannon-ball  from  the  '  Shannon ' 
passed  over  my  head  and  took  off  the  head  of  John  "White,  our 
sailing  master.  The  engagement  lasted  about  three-quarters 
of  an  hour. 

"  A  colored  man  in  the  act  of  hauling  down  our  signal  on  the 
mizzen  peak,  was  shot  by  our  mariners,  but  a  white  man 
succeeded  in  hauling  it  down. 


1813.]      FKOM   THE   EEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.       153 

"  Oue  of  our  lieutenants  called  out  to  the  bugleman,  a  colored 
mau  by  the  name  of  William  Brown,  '  Blow  the  bugle ;  alarm 
the  boarders  on  the  gun  deck,'  but  unfortunately  he  had  for- 
gotten the  proper  signal,  and  threw  his  bugle  on  the  deck,  and 
hid  himself  under  one  of  the  launches  or  boats. 

"  One  of  the  lieutenants,  I  think  Lieutenant  Ludlow,  a  little 
before  called  to  the  boatswain,  '  Board  the  fore  tack,  and  haul 
down  the  head  sheets  immediately,  and  pay  the  ship  oflf.'  The 
boatswain  answered,  '  I  can't  do  it  immediately,  they  are  shot 
away.' 

"The  'Shannon'  at  the  close  of  the  engagement  was  in  a 
sinking  condition,  having  three  and  a  half  feet  of  water  in 
her  hold,  and  I  always  believed  that  those  who  boarded  the 
'  Chesapeake,'  did  so  to  save  their  lives,  as  I  afterwards 
counted  seven  plugs  in  the  starboard  side  of  the  '  Shannon.' 

' '  When  we  were  sailing  past  Boston  lights  to  meet  the 
'  Shannon,'  I  was  taking  dinner  with  others,  between  the  guns, 
when  Captain  Lawrence  came  along,  and  looking  at  us  ear- 
nestly, said,  'Bear  a  hand,  boys,  and  get  youi-  dmner;  you 
wUl  have  blood  for  supper.'  I  heard  it,  and  if  I  had  been 
commander  I  should  not  have  used  such  an  expression  as  that. 
Captain  Lawrence  was  a  courageous  man.  I  was  very  sorry 
when  I  heard  Lieutenant  Ludlow  was  dead.  He  was  one  of 
our  best  lieutenants.     He  was  a  noble  mau. 

Benjamin  Trefethen." 

It  will  be  seen  that  tliis  account  differs  in  some  respects 
from  the  one  -preceding  it,  which  is  in  substance  taken 
from  Schouler's  "  History  of  the  United  States." 

The  most  striking  character  in  the  War  of  1812  with 
whom  Dorchester  claimed  relationship,  was  not  an  own 
son,  but  one  who  became  a  well-known  citizen.  Captain 
John  Percival,  or  "Mad  Jack,"  as  he  was  popularly 
known,  was  a  native  of  Barnstable.  He  went  to  sea 
when  but  a  boy,  and  later  entered  the  merchant  service. 
While  still  young  he  was  impressed  on  board  the  British 
vessel  "  Epervier,"  but  managed  to  escape  by  placing  his 
pistol  at  the  sentry's  head. 


154  GOOD  OLD  DOKCHESTEK.  [1813. 

Duiing  the  War  of  1812  Captain  Percival  became  the 
sailing-master  of  the  "  Peacock,"  and,  by  a  strange  coin- 
cidence, had  an  engagement  with  the  "  Epervier,"  on 
board  of  which  he  had  been  imi^ressed.  His  ser\'ices 
during  the  war  were  so  valuable  that  he  was  promoted 
to  the  line  officers,  and  became  lieutenant  and  afterwards 
captain.  Congress  gave  a  further  proof  of  the  esteem  in 
which  he  was  held  by  his  country  by  presenting  him  with 
a  handsome  sword. 

After  the  war  he  was  sent  in  the  United  States  sloop 
"  Cyane  "  to  the  West  Indies,  to  destroy  the  pirates,  who 
were  at  that  time  committing  many  indignities  to  those 
who  came  within  theii-  reach ;  and  Cajitain  Percival's 
efforts  were  so  effective  that,  before  he  left  the  scene  of 
so  many  depredations,  he  had  broken  their  force,  and  they 
were  no  longer  to  be  feared.  Few  men  had  led  such 
eventful  lives  as  that  which  fell  to  his  lot.  Hairbieadth 
escapes  followed  one  another,  and  on  many  occasions  it 
seemed  as  if  death  was  staring  liim  in  the  face ;  but  he 
passed  thi-ough  all  in  safety,  and  died  a  peaceful  death  at 
his  home  in  Dorchester. 

A  single  anecdote  may  be  related  to  show  what  dangers 
he  survived.  On  one  occasion  he  set  sail  on  a  sloop  from 
Africa  with  only  a  boy  and  an  old  man  on  board  for  crew. 
When  they  were  hardly  out  of  sight  of  port.  Captain 
Percival  and  the  old  man  were  taken  down  with  African 
fever,  and  the  boy  alone  was  left  to  man  the  sloop.  It 
was  not  long  before  the  boy  was  washed  overboard,  and 
the  vessel  left  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves. 
Captain  Percival  was  able  to  summon  strength  enough  to 
lash  the  helm,  and  then  went  below  again,  caring  little,  in 
his  wretched  condition,  what  might  befall  the  vessel.  The 
sloop  sailed  in  the  trade  winds,  and  in  time  arrived  at  a 
port,  when  Captain  Percival  came  on  deck,  and  inquired 
where  his  course  lay.  Much  to  liis  astonishment,  he  found 
that  without  sjuidance  the  vessel   had  continued   in  her 


1813.]     FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        157 

course,  and  that  a  better  voyage  could  not  liave  been  made 
had  she  been  manned  by  an  entire  crew. 

Captain  Percival  and  the  "  Constitution "  took  their 
last  trip  around  the  world  together,  the  captain  dying  in 
1862.  His  Dorchester  home  was  the  site  on  which  the 
Catholic  chui'ch  now  stands  at  Meeting-House  Hill,  on  the 
corner  of  the  street  now  called  by  his  name.  The  house 
was  originally  built  by  Dr.  Harris  for  his  son,  before  it 
came  into  Captain  Percival's  possession.  This  house  was 
moved  back  at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  church,  and 
still  stands  on  "  Percival "  Avenue.  The  life  of  Captain 
Percival  was  so  eventful  that  it  has  been  made  the  subject 
of  a  romance,  entitled  "  The  Cruise  of  the  Juniata."  The 
captain  is  not  called  by  his  real  name  in  the  story ;  but  as 
"  Captain  Percy  "  he  has  become  in  fiction  the  hero  that 
he  proved  liimself  to  be  in  life. 

The  war  had  created  a  great  demand  for  broadcloths  and 
satinets,  and  to  meet  this,  Walter  Baker  erected  a  stone 
building  for  the  combined  piu'poses  of  a  woollen  and  choc- 
olate mill.  The  manufactui'e  of  the  broadclotlis  and 
satinets  continued  until  the  news  of  the  peace  came,  in 
1815,  and  with  the  decrease  in  the  demand,  the  woollen 
part  of  the  mill  was  shut  down. 

In  1815  there  was  a  great  gale  which  destroyed  the  arch 
of  the  bridge  over  the  Neponset  River.  This  arch  was 
erected  over  the  bridge  at  the  dividing  line  of  the  towns, 
in  1798,  to  commemorate  the  ratification  of  Jay's  Treaty. 
The  inscriijtion  on  it,  in  letters  of  gold,  read,  "  We  unite 
in  the  defence  of  our  country  and  its  laws.  — 1798." 
This  bridge  had  been  built  by  the  towns  of  Dorchester 
and  Milton  in  1765 ;  the  former  town  building  the  two 
northern  sluices,  covering  them  with  stone,  and  the  latter 
town  the  southern  sluice.  The  expense  of  building  the 
two  large  ones  and  the  wooden  bridge  was  equally  shared 
by  the  two  towns.     The  same  gale  caused  such  damage  to 


158  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1815. 

the  meeting-house  of  the  First  Parish  that  it  was  finally 
demolished,  and  the  present  structure  was  erected  to  take 
its  place. 

General  Stephen  Badlam,  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
town,  died  in  1815.  He  was  a  surveyor  by  profession, 
making  plans  of  Dorchester  and  neighboring  towns ;  but 
he  was  active  in  all  that  concerned  the  interests  of  his 
fellow-citizens.  In  1775  he  joined  the  American  army, 
and  soon  received  a  commission  as  second  lieutenant  of 
artillery,  from  wliich  he  was  promoted  to  the  positions  of 
fu'st  lieutenant  and  captain.  His  success  in  filling  these 
oiiices  of  responsibility  brought  it  about  that  when  ordered 
to  Canada  he  was  in  the  possession  of  a  major's  commission. 
Sickness  compelled  liim  to  leave  the  army;  so  he  again 
entered  private  life,  being  no  less  prominent  than  when  m 
his  public  capacit}'.  He  became  a  justice  of  the  jjeace, 
and  later  general  of  the  first  brigade  of  the  fu'st  division 
of  the  Massachusetts  militia. 

In  1808  General  Badlam  was  chosen  senior  deacon  of 
the  Second  Church,  —  a  position  which  he  held  till  his 
death.  He  was  especially  prominent  during  the  contro- 
versy between  the  chui'ch  and  Dr.  Codman,  being  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  latter.  On  the  occasion  of  his  death 
Dr.  Codman  preached  his  funeral  sermon,  in  which  he 
said :  "  As  a  citizen  and  a  magistrate  he  was  liighly  and 
justly  esteemed ;  and  his  loss  will  be  long  and  sensibly  felt 
in  his  immediate  neighborhood,  in  this  town,  and  thi-ough- 
out  the  country.  ...  As  a  member  and  officer  of  the 
Church  of  Cluist  he  was  eminently  useful  and  higldy 
respected." 

During  this  same  year  the  death  of  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Samuel  Pierce  occurred.  He  belonged  to  the  sturdy  family 
which  had  sprung  from  Robert  Pierce,  and  who  built  that 
still  well-preserved  relic  of  the  early  days,  the  Pierce 
House.  "Colonel  Samuel,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called, 
served  in  the  army  during  the  greater  part  of  the  ^Var 


1815.]      FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        159 

of  the  Revolution,  and  was  appointed  lieutenantxjolonel 
February  14,  1776.  He  was  at  Morristown  in  1777,  and 
several  letters  written  home  from  there  are  still  in  the 
possession  of  the  family.  He  was  one  of  those  who  forti- 
fied Dorchester  Heights,  and  in  1779  was  in  Rhode  Island 
in  command  of  a  regiment. 

Colonel  Pierce  did  a  great  service  to  the  present  genera- 
tion by  lea-sing  behind  him  a  carefully  kept  diaiy.  This 
contains  an  excellent  record  of  the  stirring  times  of  the 
Revolution,  and  is  of  special  interest  because  of  its  allu- 
sions to  events  referred  to  in  preceding  pages.  The 
following  extracts  are  taken  from  the  diary :  — 

1764,  Jan.  18.  Boston  people  move  out  then-  goods  very 
fast,  for  fear  of  the  small  pox. 

March  20.  Mr.  Bowman  desired  to  have  them  sing  twice  in 
the  forenoon. 

1765,  Jan.  16.  Mr.  Samuel  How  was  stopt  by  a  rober  upon 
Boston  neck. 

March  24.  Snowed  and  stormed  very  bad.  Mr.  Boman  put 
by  the  meeting  in  the  afternoon  for  the  storm,  and  it  was  a  very 
high  tide  and  did  much  damage  at  Boston. 

Sept.  25.  Training  at  the  Castle.  The  same  day  is  to  be 
the  great  hors  rase  on  the  neck. 

Nov.  10.  Was  the  first  that  we  sang  tate  &  brady's  spalms 
in  Dorchester  meeting.    Som  people  much  offended  at  the  same. 

June  25.     We  had  the  spinning  match  at  our  house. 

July  25.     The  soldiers  go  from  Boston,  some  of  them. 

Aug.  1.     Gov.  Barnard  goes  from  Boston. 

Aug.  14.  Was  a  very  grand  entertainment  at  Mr.  Lemuel 
Robinson's.  All  the  Sons  of  Liberty  met;  there  was  124 
carriages  there. 

1770,  Jan.  25.     The  merchants  in  Boston  all  vote  against  tea. 

Feb.  22.     A  boy  was  shot  at  Boston  by  an  informer. 

March  6.     Four  men  killed  in  Boston  by  the  soldiers. 

March  12.     The  soldiers  go  from  Boston  to  the  Castle. 

Aug.  11.     Ml".  Whitfield  came  to  Boston. 

Sept.  10.     Castle  William  is  resined  to  Col.  Dalrymple. 


160  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1815. 

Oct.  20.  Was  a  violent  storm  as  ever  was  known  in  these 
parts,  and  did  a  vast  deal  of  damage. 

1771,  March  13.  Thomas  Hutchinson  was  made  Governor 
in  chief. 

April  3.  I  set  a  Post  and  an  elm  tree  at  the  meeting  house. 
[This  elm  is  still  standing,  about  ten  rods  west  of  the  present 
First  Parish  Church.] 

1772,  May  20.  Town  meeting.  Esq.  Holden  offered  to  go 
representative  for  nothing,  but  they  would  not  choose  him. 

Aug.  28.  Mr.  Ebenezer  Clap  made  captain  of  the  loar 
Company. 

Oct.  21.  Capt.  Clap  call'd  his  company  together  and  made 
a  treat. 

Nov.  15.  The  Pirates  came  on  this  coast  and  rob'd  one 
vessel. 

Nov.  22.     The  Pirates  take  a  scooner  and  killed  the  hands. 

December  29.  Had  a  town  meeting  to  exclaim  against  the 
Duty  being  laid  upon  us,  and  the  judges  having  their  salaries 
paid  from  England,  &c. 

1773,  Feb.  1.     Began  to  kep  school,  £3  5s.  per  week. 
March  14.     Mr.  Boman  refused  to  baptize  Paul  Halls  child, 

altho  he  demanded  it  m  public. 

Nov.  19.  Had  councils  four  days  this  week;  cost  £150  a 
day. 

Dec.  1.     A  great  time  of  talk  about  the  tee. 

Dec.  3.  The  council  set  4  days  this  week,  and  have  not 
finished. 

Dec.  11.  Boston  is  full  of  trouble  about  the  tee  being 
landed. 

Dec.  14.  Was  a  church  meeting,  and  the  council  dismissed 
Mr.  Jona.  Boman  from  this  Church  this  day.  We  have  had 
eight  months  controversy  with  Mr.  Boman,  but  got  rid  of  him 
at  last  by  paying  him  £450  old  tenor  per  year  to  go  away. 

Dec.  15.  There  was  the  destruction  of  the  Tee ;  they  sup- 
posed there  to  be  about  340  chests  destroyed,  all  thrown  into 
the  dock  in  one  Nite. 

Dec.  30.  There  was  a  number  of  men  came  from  Boston  in 
disguise,  about  40  ;  they  came  to  Mr.  Eben  Withington's  down 


181B.]     FKOM   THE   KEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        161 

in  town,  and  demanded  his  Tee  from  him  which  he  had  taken 
up,  and  carried  it  off  and  burnt  it  at  Boston. 

1774,  Jan.  3.  Was  town  meeting.  We  pass  a  vote  against 
buying  or  drinking  any  Bohea  Tee.     S.  P. 

May  16.     Gov.  Gages  Commission  was  Eed  in  Boston. 

May  18.  Mr.  Lemuel  Robinson  was  chosen  to  represent  the 
town. 

May  31.  We  had  our  Training  and  Treeting,  &c. ;  the 
Company  was  all  here,  about  100 ;  we  had  188  people  here  to 
dinner. 

June  13.     The  soldiers  laud  at  Boston. 

June  17.     The  Cort  was  dissolved  at  Salem  by  Gage. 

July  2.  Eight  or  nine  Men  a  War  arived  with  forces,  and 
Boston  is  in  a  most  deplorable  condition. 

Sept.  1.  There  was  an  alaram;  there  was  about  8  or  'J 
thousand  men  met  at  Cambridge. 

Sept.  12.  The  greate  gun  was  Removed  from  Preston's 
Point. 

Sept.  19.     We  began  to  exercise  this  season. 

Oct.  4.     We  had  our  trainings  in  Dorchester. 

Nov.  9.  Had  a  meeting  of  all  the  training  soldiers,  and 
gave  up  our  commissions  and  were  rechosen. 

Nov.  17.  The  officers  of  this  regiment  met  at  Stouton  to 
choose  their  field  officers.  Chosen  for  the  same,  Lemuel 
Robinson,  Deacon  Gill  and  Joseph  Voce. 

Nov.  28.     The  fortification  all  built  on  Boston  Neck. 

Dec.  27.  Town  meeting.  Capt.  Withington  was  chosen  to 
represent  the  town  in  the  Congress. 

1755,  Feb.  27.  The  officers  met,  and  the  field  officers 
resigned. 

March  7.  They  met  again  and  were  rechosen.  Capt.  Clap 
was  chosen  Lieut.  Colonel. 

April  19.  This  day  there  was  a  terrible  battle  at  Lexington 
and  Concord  between  our  people  and  the  soldiers  which  marcht 
out  of  Boston ;  the  soldiers  fired  on  our  people,  and  then  the 
battle  began,  and  there  was  about  40  of  our  people  kild  and 
190  of  the  soldiers,  as  near  as  could  be  recollected. 

April  20.     The  alarm  was  very  general,  and  a  great  number 


162  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1815. 

of  People  collected ;  it  may  be  there  was  30  or  40  Thousand  in 
Roxbury  and  Cambridge. 

May  1 .  There  is  very  great  confusion  among  us  at  this  day, 
some  people  moving  out  of  Boston,  and  some  of  the  Tory's 
moving  then'  goods  in  to  town. 

May  5.  There  was  something  of  an  alarm  here  in  Dorches- 
ter ;  a  schooner  came  into  the  River,  but  it  proved  to  be  from 
Boston  with  som  of  our  frinds  from  Boston  in  it. 

May  9.  An  express  came  to  me  from  the  General,  and  I 
got  the  Company  together  and  marcht  of,  but  we  met  with 
interruption  that  night. 

May  11.     Was  a  fast  kept  and  very  strictly  too. 

May  17.     More  soldiers  arrive  at  Boston  from  England. 

May  21.  The  soldiers  go  to  Weymouth  with  four  vessels  for 
hay  at  Strawbery  hill,  but  our  people  drive  them  of  and  burnt 
the  barn ;  twas  thot  to  have  had  near  80  tuns  of  hay  in  it. 

May  27.  The  soldiers  make  another  attack  on  Noddle's 
Island,  but  our  soldiers  get  the  better  of  them  and  took  a  small 
vessel  from  them  and  burnt  it. 

May  29.  The  people  burn  a  great  quantity  of  hay  at 
Noddles  Island,  and  at  night  the  house  at  tompsons  Island. 

June  14.  A  great  number  of  transports  arive  in  Boston 
with  more  soldiers,  some  say  1500. 

June  17.  They  got  over  to  Charlestown  and  set  it  on  fire, 
and  burn  the  whole  town  down. 

June  18.  There  was  a  terrible  battle  fout  at  Charlestown; 
the  Regulars  get  the  better  of  oui-  troops,  and  we  lost  about  70 
men  and  many  wounded. 

•Tune  20.  It  was  said  that  there  was  1000  of  the  Regular 
soldiers  kild. 

June  24.  This  day  two  of  our  men  went  to  set  Browns 
house  on  the  Neck  afire,  and  were  both  kild  ;  one  was  old  Share 
of  Milton. 

.June  26.  This  day  our  People  began  to  entrench  below 
Capt.  Clap's,  near  the  great  Casway. 

June  27.  Our  people  went  down  to  Dorchester  Neck  to 
work,  but  were  shot  at  from  Boston  very  much. 

July  2.     Much  firing  from  the  Regulars  this  morning  at  om- 


1815.]     FROM  THE   KEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        163 

people  at  Koxbm-y.  Mr.  Williams'  house  was  set  on  fire,  but 
no  lives  lost. 

July  6.  Oui-  soldiers  had  a  scurmig  this  morning  with  then- 
gard,  and  drove  them  from  it  and  set  Brown's  house  afire  on 
the  Neck. 

July  10.  Om-  People  go  to  Long  Island  and  fetch  of  all  the 
cretors,  and  took  13  mereeus  prisoners. 

July  11.  This  day  many  of  the  ships  goes  out  of  the  harbor, 
but  upon  what  expedition  we  cannot  tell  at  preasant. 

July  12.  This  day  we  have  our  town  meeting  to  choose 
representatives  according  to  the  advice  of  the  Continental 
Congress. 

July  13.  Oui-  people  began  to  entrench  near  the  George 
tavern  on  Boston  Neck,  and  the  soldiers  fired  at  them  and  kild 
one  man. 

July  20.  The  Light-house  was  sot  afire,  and  oui-  people 
went  to  Nantasket  to  git  of  the  barley  and  hay. 

July  30.  There  was  something  of  a  scirmige  with  the  Regu- 
lars ;  the  Regulars  set  the  George  tavern  afire  on  the  Neck. 

Aug.  25.  This  day  four  barges  came  up  to  the  farm  bar; 
om'  people  fired  at  them,  but  did  them  no  damage. 

Sept.  18.  There  was  108  shot  fired  at  our  people  this  day, 
but  not  one  man  killd. 

Sept.  26.  Our  people  went  on  an  expedition  over  the  bay, 
and  set  the  house  on  fire  on  Governor's  Island. 

Oct.  8.  The  Men  a  War  goes  from  Boston  to  Bristol  road- 
iland,  and  then  fired  on  the  town  and  did  much  damage. 

Oct.  10.     Governor  Gage  sailed  for  England. 

Oct.  12.  Mr.  Edward  Preston's  barn  and  Chocolate  mill 
were  both  burnt  to  ashes. 

Oct.  16.  Our  people  went  down  in  Cambridge  bay  with  two 
floating  Batery's  to  fire  upon  Boston,  and  one  of  them  split 
then*  cannon  by  not  ramiug  their  shot  down ;  it  kild  one  and 
wounded  6. 

Oct.  20.  The  ships  set  fire  to  the  town  at  Casco  bay,  and 
burn  about  tlu'ee  quarters  of  the  town  to  ashes. 

Dec.  15.  Oui'  Privatears  take  a  fine  prize  laden  with  ammu- 
nition and  stors,  and  a  fine  mortar. 


164  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1815. 

1776.  Our  People  goes  to  Bunker  hill  and  sot  several  houses 
afire.  The  regulars  fired  very  much  at  our  people,  but  nobody 
hurt. 

Jan.  18.  We  heard  of  our  people  haveing  a  defeat  at 
Quebeck  by  trying  to  scale  the  walls. 

Jan.  29.  We  called  our  Company's  together,  and  then 
enlisted  25  men  for  the  army  for  2  mouths. 

Feb.  5.  This  day  we  had  38  soldiers  come  into  our 
house. 

Feb.  13.  The  regulars  came  out  of  Boston  and  from  the 
Castle,  and  drove  oiu'  Gard  of  the  Neck  and  burnt  the  housen. 

March  4.  Oui'  people  went  on  to  Dorchester  Neck  and  built 
two  forts  in  the  same  night,  and  there  was  380  teems  and  about 
5000  men  —  the  most  work  dou  that  ever  was  don  in  one  night 
in  New  England. 

March  5.  There  was  a  very  heavy  cannonading  all  the  night, 
but  there  was  but  one  man  kild  on  our  side.  Our  regiment 
marcht  to  Roxbm'y,  but  nobody  was  hurt. 

March  9.  There  was  an  exceeding  heavy  firing  from  the 
ministerial  troops  towards  Nuke  hill,  and  one  shot  kild  4  men 
instantly,  and  there  was  more  than  one  thousand  shot  fired  from 
the  regulars,  and  no  man  hurt  except  the  4  first,  a  most  remark- 
hand  of  Providence  in  this. 

March  14.  Part  of  our  regiment  was  called  to  gard  the 
shore ;    one  third  part  were  kept  on  duty. 

March  17.  There  was  a  heavy  firing  from  our  enemy,  but  no 
hurt  don,  and  this  morning  the  Regulars  were  out  of  Boston, 
Destroying  as  they  went  of  like  so  many  frited  sheep,  but  some 
of  the  toryes  were  left  behind  in  town. 

March  18.     Our  people  take  possession  of  Boston. 

March  19.  The  Regulars  set  fire  to  the  Barracks  at  the 
Castle,  and  our  people  began  a  brest  work  on  Mr.  Blake's 
ground. 

March  20.  Something  of  firing  from  one  of  the  ships  this 
morning. 

March  22.  This  night  Castle  William  was  all  burnt  to  ashes 
and  all  destroyed. 

March  28.     Our  people  go  into  Boston  all  freely. 


1815.]     FKOM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        167 

March  30.  The  ships  mostly  goes  out  of  the  harbor ;  they 
sailed  for  Halifax. 

April  4.  Four  of  our  regiments  move  for  to  go  to  Roade- 
ilaud,  aud  sum  to  New  York. 

April  18.  The  Couit  sot  iu  our  meetiug-house  to  try  the 
tories. 

April  2.5.  The  officers  of  Col.  Gill's  regiuient  met  at  Doties 
at  Stoughtou,  and  were  all  sworn. 

May  17.  There  was  a  valuable  prise  taken  by  our  Privitears 
of  the  harbor. 

June  8.  There  was  one  of  oui-  Privitears  taken  by  our 
enemies ;    she  was  called  the  Yankee  hero. 

June  14.  Our  people  goes  on  with  an  expedition  down  on 
the  Islands,  and  drove  out  the  ships  out  of  the  harbor;  they 
built  a  fort  ou  Long  Isld,  and  another  on  Nantasket.  Our 
enemy  Blowed  up  the  Light-house ;  myself  was  a  spectator  at 
the  time. 

June  17.  There  was  two  ships  came  into  our  harbor  with 
Scotch  soldiers,  and  our  Privatiers  took  them  both ;  they 
had  200. 

July  28.  America  declared  Independency  from  Great 
Britain. 

1777,  April  19.  There  was  5  tories  carted  out  of  Boston, 
and  were  tipt  up  in  Roxbury,  and  were  ordered  never  to  return 
to  Boston  again  upon  Peril  of  Death ;  there  seems  Now  to  be 
some  resolution  iu  the  people. 

Sept.  22.  Had  orders  to  draught  50  men  from  our  regiment 
for  a  secret  expedition. 

Oct.  10.  We  had  good  news  from  our  Northern  army  of 
Burgoine's  being  taken. 

Oct.  17.  General  Gates  took  Bm-goine  with  about  5000 
troops  of  our  enemy. 

Oct.  30.  Our  soldiers  return  from  the  expedition  to  Rhode 
Island  without  doing  anything. 

Nov.  2.  Lieut.  Ezokl  Tolman  came  home  from  towards 
Ticonderoga  not  well. 

1778,  May  14.  Mr.  John  Minot  Enoculated  his  family  with 
the  small  pox    much  against  the  minds  of  his  neighbours. 


168  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEB.  [1817. 

May  19.  We  had  a  town  meeting  in  order  to  see  what 
method  the  town  would  take  to  re-inforce  the  Continental  army. 

May  31.  There  was  near  a  hundred  prayed  for  this  day 
under  the  operation  of  tlie  small  pox  in  Dorchester. 

May  10.  I  was  appointed  to  go  to  Tiverton  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  regiment  their. 

1780,  May  19.  A  day  much  to  be  remembered,  so  dark 
between  twelve  and  one  o'clock,  that  people  could  not  see  to 
work.  We  were  obliged  to  have  a  candle  to  eat  dinner  by ;  it 
lookt  very  melloncaly  indeed,  there  was  but  a  little  rain,  and 
the  evening  was  as  remarkably  dark. 

1782,  Aug.  10.  Thirteen  large  French  ships  came  into 
Boston  harbor. 

In  1817  Dorchester  lost  two  well-known  physicians  by 
suicide,  —  Dr.  Eleazer  Clapp,  and  Dr.  Thomas  Danforth. 
Dr.  Clapp  was  graduated  from  Harvard  in  1807,  and 
studied  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  Warren.  He  opened  an  office 
in  Boston,  and  seemed  to  have  the  prospects  of  a  successful 
career  before  him.  Having  a  predisposition  to  insanity, 
however,  he  soon  became  melancholy,  and  returned  to  his 
native  town.  Here,  in  a  fit  of  mental  depression,  he  des- 
troyed himself  on  the  27th  of  August. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  the  suicide,  a  month  previ- 
ously, of  Dr.  Danforth,  son  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Samuel 
Danforth,  of  Boston,  may  have  suggested  this  mode  of 
death  to  Dr.  Clapp.  Dr.  Danforth  received  a  good  educa- 
tion, but,  having  rich  relatives,  he  was  not  specially 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  profession.  He  lived  in 
Dorchester  for  about  two  years ;  and,  though  not  engaging 
in  medical  pursuits,  he  sometimes  prescribed  for  hi.s 
neighbors.  A  sudden  cold  produced  excitement  of  the 
brain,  and  on  July  13  he  took  his  life. 

An  interesting  event  of  the  year  1830  was  a  visit  made 
to  Hull  by  one  hundred  inhabitants  of  Dorchester,  to  cele- 
brate the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  the 
first  settlers.     This  company,  most  of  whom  were  from  the 


1830.]    FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        169 

Second  Parish,  met  at  the  Lower  Mills,  around  "  Badlam's 
pump,"  at  the  junction  of  the  Upper  Road  and  the  lane, 
the  present  River  Street. 

There  were  twenty-eight  carriages,  of  every  descrip- 
tion, in  which,  besides  the  occupants,  were  stowed  away  the 
necessary  edibles  to  assist  in  making  the  celebration  a 
success.  By  slow  degrees  this  procession  proceeded  on  its 
journey,  fuially  arriving  at  a  place  near  the  present  Jeru- 
salem Road.  Here  the  party  was  met  by  twenty-thi-ee 
other  Dorchester  people,  who  had  made  the  trip  by  water, 
on  a  yacht  commanded  by  Captain  William  M.  Rogers. 
At  this  time  the  only  houses  in  the  vicinity  were  a  few 
scattered  fishermen's  huts.  The  Rev.  John  Codman,  pas- 
tor of  the  Second  Church,  delivered  an  adcb-ess  and  offered 
a  prayer,  and  two  original  hymns  were  sung. 

On  June  17  of  this  year  Dorchester  observed  its  two 
hundi'edth  anniversary  with  appropriate  exercises.  Rev. 
John  Pierce,  D.D.,  delivered  an  lustorical  discourse ;  and 
Dr.  Thaddeus  Mason  Hai-ris,  pastor  of  the  First  Parish, 
and  Dr.  John  Codman,  jjastor  of  the  Second  Parish,  also 
took  part.  Much  to  the  regret  of  all,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Richmond  was  unable  to  be  present  on  account  of  illness. 

In  July  the  second  centennial  of  the  town  was  cele- 
brated by  the  Church.  The  services  consisted  of  singing 
the  90th  and  the  107th  Psalms  from  the  old  versions  of 
the  early  settlers,  line  by  line  being  read,  after  the  ancient 
practice  of  the  Church,  and  an  anniversary  sermon  by 
the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris.  This  contained  a  brief 
account  of  the  experiences  of  those  who  came  over  in  the 
"  Mary  and  John  "  from  the  time  they  left  England  down 
to  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Referring  to  the 
time  in  which  he  spoke.  Dr.  Harris  said,  "We  have 
arrived  at  a  period  when  such  a  retrospect  of  the  days  of 
old  and  the  years  of  ancient  times  seems  peculiarly  proper. 
The  completion  of  the  second  century  since  the  arrival  of 
our  forefathers   to   begin  a  settlement  here    has  a  claim 


170  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1830. 

upon  our  special  notice  and  pious  commemoration.  On 
this  new  era  in  history,  '  wlrich  is  for  us  a  memorial,'  we 
may  consider  ourselves  as  having  reached  an  elevation 
whence,  like  Moses  upon  Pisgah,  we  may  take  an  admiring 
view  of  the  pleasant  places  and  goodly  heritage  of  those 
whom  the  Lord  has  blessed." 

The  transportation  facilities  of  the  town  were  increased 
in  1830  by  the  addition  of  a  new  line  of  stage-coaches 
to  Boston,  which  was  started  in  opposition  to  those  cb'iven 
by  Charles  and  Archibald  Dunmore.  The  coaches  started 
near  the  site  of  the  jjresent  railroad  station  on  Washington 
Street  near  Norfolk ;  but  the  Dunmore  brothers  had  so 
firm  a  hold  on  the  patronage  of  the  town  that  the  new  line 
was  short-lived. 

The  coach  line  of  the  Dunmore  brothers  made  hourly 
trips  from  the  Lower  j\lills  to  the  city  proper.  There  were 
two  coaches  daily,  one  starting  in  the  early  morning,  and 
the  other  at  noon.  On  the  return  trips  the  coaches  left 
Wilde's  Tavern  in  Boston.  A  slate  was  hung  in  the  office, 
on  wliich  were  the  names  of  would-be  passengers ;  and 
often  the  extreme  ends  of  the  city  had  to  be  visited  before 
the  journey  to  Dorchester  was  fairly  begun. 

The  road  over  which  the  coaches  ran  passed  over  the 
Neck,  which  at  one  time  was  a  favorite  haunt  for  highway- 
men, and  many  exciting  episodes  occurred  there.  Dr. 
Holbrook,  of  jNIilton,  used  to  relate  an  adventure  he  once 
had  when  returning  home  after  a  visit  to  a  patient  in 
Boston.  When  on  the  Neck,  the  bridle  of  his  horse  was 
suddenly  seized  by  a  robber,  while  a  confederate  "cut 
behind  "  the  sulky.  As  it  happened,  the  rear  part  of  the 
carriage  had  been  covered  with  sharp-pointed  nails,  to  pre- 
vent mischievous  boys  from  stealing  rides.  The  doctor 
heard  a  cry  from  behind,  and  at  once  whipped  up  his  horse. 
This  was  so  unexpected  that  the  highwayman  at  the  horse's 
head  relinquished  his  grasp,  and   had  plenty  of   time  to 


1830.]      FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.       171 

assist  his  comrade  in  nui'sing  his  wounded  fuigers,  while 
the  doctor  ckove  home. 

The  fare  on  the  coaches  was  thirty -seven  and  a  half  cents 
each  way.  When  the  new  line  started  in  1830,  the  fare 
was  reduced  to  twenty-five  cents.  A  little  later,  Captain 
Goodspeed,  the  commander  of  the  Dorchester  artillery, 
started  a  coach  wlaich  ran  from  Captain  Eaton's  store,  on 
Meeting-House  Hill,  charging  only  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
each  way.  In  1834  William  HoUis  and  his  brother  Josej^h 
had  the  first  line  of  omnibuses,  which  also  started  fi'om 
Captain  Eaton's  store.  The  fare  was  twenty-five  cents, 
but  somewhat  cheaper  if  tickets  were  purchased.  These 
omnibuses  were  cumbersome  affairs,  which  were  drawn  by 
four  horses.  They  made  their  headquarters  in  Boston  in 
front  of  the  Washington  Coffee  House,  on  Washington 
Street  near  Milk  Street.  Later,  William  Hencby  placed 
some  smaller  omnibuses  upon  this  same  route,  which  left 
Franklin  Street,  near  Washington  Street,  every  half-hour. 
These  omnibuses  were  the  immediate  predecessoi-s  of  the 
horse-cars  and  the  present  electric  cars. 

Mr.  George  Fowler,  an  old  resident  of  Dorchester,  gives 
the  following  interesting  account  of  the  training  and 
muster  days,  which  were  important  institutions  at  this 
time.     He  says :  — 

"There  were  two  days  in  the  year,  in  the  olden  time,  much 
cherished  by  the  hoys :  these  were  May  training  and  the  annual 
muster.  The  military  force  of  Dorchester  consisted  of  a  rifle 
company  and  an  artillery  company.  All  the  boys  believed  that 
the  foiTner  possessed  the  finest  snare  drummer,  and  the  most 
ear-splitting  fifer,  in  the  whole  world.  The  artillery  company 
owned  a  bass  drummer  by  the  name  of  Jordan,  always  called 
'  Jerdon,'  who  was  supposed  to  be  hors  concoiirs.  He  was  a 
portly  man,  with  a  red  face,  who  flourished  his  drumsticks  in 
such  an  artistic  manner,  and  produced  such  deafening  sounds, 
that  it  was  really  wonderful ;  it  was  not  advertised  as  a 
10 


172  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1830. 

'  recital.'  The  single  drum  of  the  artillery  baud,  as  the  snare 
drum  was  then  called,  was  operated  on  by  a  gentleman  by  the 
name  of  Henley,  who,  I  think,  was  in  the  masonic  and  white- 
wash business.  The  artillery  baud  also  embraced  a  Kent  bugle 
and  a  life,  four  pieces  against  the  rifles'  two.  Jordan  had  been 
in  the  sei-vice  of  the  rifle  company,  but  had  deserted  to  the 
artillery. 

"The  uniforms  of  the  two  companies  were  of  similar  cut, 
—  the  rifles  being  grey,  the  artillery  blue.  The  caps  were  the 
leather,  bell-crowned  caps  of  the  English  foot-guards ;  and  the 
plumes  suggested  magnified  admiration  marks,  being  jet  black, 
and  about  twenty-six  inches  in  length.  When  the  troops 
marched,  these  plumes  bowed  solemnlj'  at  every  step.  They 
made  the  soldiers  out  to  be  eight  feet  high,  every  man  of  them. 
The  brass  six-pounders  of  the  artillery  company  had  been 
captured  from  the  Spaniards  by  the  French,  from  the  French 
by  the  English,  and  from  the  English  by  the  Americans,  —  at 
least  so  asserted  the  boj's  with  all  the  force  of  conviction.^ 

"The  muster,  which  always  occurred  in  the  fall,  was  on 
Captain  Harrod's  ground,  called  Bowdoin  Hill ;  now,  I  believe, 
promoted  to  a  mountain.  The  troops  marched  up  Harrod's 
yard  and  through  the  cow-yard  to  the  tented  field.  There  were 
booths  on  two  sides  of  the  ground,  where  refreshments  could 
be  obtained,  —  the  liquid  part  being  varied  and  extensive,  the 
solid  consisting  principally  of  ginger-bread  and  custard-pie, 
with  raw  oysters  at  six  cents  a  plate.  There  was  always  a 
sham  fight,  in  which  the  ununiformed  militia  participated,  and 
were  always  beaten  by  the  rifles  and  the  artillery.  The  general 
commanding  wore  very  tight,  brimstone-colored  knee-breeches, 
top-boots,  spurs,  and  a  blue  coat,  the  breast  of  which  lay  back 
in  enormous  lappels.  A  three-cornered  hat  covered  his  head. 
He  was  very  deferential  to  his  horse,  and  it  always  seemed 
to  me  that  he  hailed  the  approaching  sunset  with  inaudible 
cheers." 

'  Tlie  connection  of  the  Frencli  and  tlie  Spaniards  with  these  cannon  is 
to  be  questioned.  Tliey  were,  however,  captured  from  the  Englisli  during 
the  War  of  tlie  Revolution,  and  were  said  to  be  two  of  the  finest  specimens 
of  their  class.  They  were  afterwards  taken .  to  tlie  arsenal  at  Springfield 
and  melted. 


1830.]       FROM   THE   KEVOLUTIOM    TO   THE   EEBELLION.      173 

The  reader  should  pause  here  for  a  moment,  and  think 
what  a  difference  the  two  centuries  just  passed  had  made 
in  the  condition  of  the  town  and  people ;  and  yet  what 
vaster  changes  were  destined  to  be  accomplished  dming 
the  next  fifty  years  !  The  early  thatch-roofed  houses  had 
given  way  to  the  more  pretentious  homes  of  the  modern 
civilization ;  the  one  simple  "  meeting-house,"  where  all 
the  town  had  worshipped,  was  replaced  by  three  parishes 
(together  with  Dorchester  Neck,  which  had  been  annexed 
to  Boston),  and  eleven  distinct  societies  of  worshippers ; 
the  little  schoolhouse,  which  had  well  answered  the  de- 
mands of  those  early  days,  now  boasted  several  offsprings, 
capable  of  guiding  a  larger  number  of  the  youtlis  and 
maidens  in  the  paths  of  wisdom,  perhaps,  but  hardly  more 
comfortable.  How  many  of  the  good  people  of  Dor- 
chester remember  those  "  modern "  schoolhouses  of  the 
early  part  of  this  centmy,  where  a  roaring  fire  roasted 
the  detachment  of  chilch-en  serving  their  turn  at  the  stove, 
while  the  ink  froze  on  the  master's  desk  ! 

The  second  century  certainly  showed  a  marvellous 
advance ;  but  how  can  it  be  compared  with  the  few  brief 
years  which  have  passed  since  then  ?  The  steam  railroad, 
the  telegraph,  the  telephone,  the  electric  lights  and  cars,  — 
all  were  unknown  and  even  uncU-eamed  of  by  those  who  at 
the  time  of  the  second  centennial  considered  themselves 
so  far  ahead  of  their  fathers  and  grandfathers. 

The  principal  characters  in  the  later  liistory  of  the  town, 
we  shall  find,  are  not  all  descendants  of  the  old  Dorchester 
fathers ;  but  as  the  modern  civilization  mingled  together 
families,  who  knew  the  town's  past  only  as  a  matter  of 
record,  with  those  to  whom  it  was  a  strong  reality,  it  was 
natural  that  there  should  be  some  departure  from  the  ruts 
in  which  events  had  travelled  from  the  earlier  times. 

It  is  necessary  to  remark  that  the  changes  of  this  last 
centiu-y  are  rather  in  the  people  themselves  than  in  the 


174  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1831. 

town.  Everythiiig  was  becoming  more  progressive ;  and, 
in  order  to  keep  pace  with  the  times,  the  Dorchester 
people  found  it  necessary  to  throw  off  some  of  their 
conservatism. 

Dorchester  was  called  upon  in  1831  to  assist  the  people 
of  Neponset  Village  in  the  establishment  of  a  public 
school.  The  village  at  this  time  contained  twenty-four 
families,  and  there  were  tlurty-four  children  who  were  of 
the  proper  age  to  attend  school.  The  nearest  school-build- 
ing was  a  mile  and  a  half  distant,  so  that  it  was  impossible 
for  them  to  attend  regularly,  especially  during  the  winter 
montlLs.  In  the  light  of  these  facts,  therefore,  Dorchester 
voted  to  grant  the  request  of  Neponset,  and  apj^ropriated 
one  bundled  and  fifty  dollars  a  year  "  for  the  establishment 
and  maintenance  of  a  town  school." 

The  town  did  not  enjoy  the  luxmy  of  a  bank  until  1832, 
when  the  "Dorchester  and  Milton  Bank  "  was  incorporated, 
with  Moses  Whitney,  Esq.,  for  its  first  president.  In  1850 
the  name  of  the  bank  was  changed  to  the  "  Blue  Hill 
Bank,"  owing  to  the  loss  of  some  f  32,000  by  theft.  Other 
banks  have  since  been  incorporated;  but  the  Blue  Hill 
Bank,  as  it  is  still  called,  deserves  mention  as  the  pioneer 
institution  of  its  kind  in  Dorchester.  Its  present  officers 
are :  President,  Samuel  Gannett ;  cashier,  S.  J.  Willis ; 
directors,  Samuel  Gannett,  Laban  Pratt,  A.  L.  Hollings- 
worth,  Joseph  E.  Hall,  Horace  E.  Ware,  and  J.  Frank 
Howland. 

Dorchester  once  contained  the  only  powder-mill,  the 
only  paper-mill,  the  only  cracker  manufactory,  the  only 
chocolate-mill,  and  the  only  playing-card  manufactory  in 
the  whole  country.  Hay^vard's  "  Gazetteer,"  early  in  the 
thirties,  mentions  Dorchester  as  "  an  agricultural  and  man- 
ufacturing town  of  about  3,500  inhabitants,  large  farms 
covering  broad  acres,  card  factories  (Thomas  Creliore's 
being  the  first  in  any  part  of  the  country  to  manufacture 
playing  cards),  cotton,  chocolate,  and  starch  mills." 


1832.]       FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.      177 

Commerce  has  never  received  its  proper  position  among 
the  industries  of  the  town.  About  tlie  year  1832  it  began 
to  be  an  important  element  in  the  life  of  the  town,  adding 
wealth  and  population.  Its  prominence  was  of  short 
duration,  but  much  activity  was  manifested  for  a  few 
years. 

In  1832  a  syndicate  was  formed  for  the  prosecution  of 
the  whale  and  cod  fisheries  at  Commercial  Point.  This 
syndicate  was  composed  of  Messrs.  Nathaniel  Thayer,  a 
brother  of  John  E.  Thayer,  the  founder  of  the  house  of 
the  well-known  fii-m  of  Kidder,  Peabody,  &  Co. ;  Mr.  Elisha 
Preston,  of  Dorchester,  who  was  the  senior  partner  of  the 
ftrm  of  Preston  &  Thayer ;  Mr.  Josiah  Stickney,  a  well- 
kno'wn  Boston  merchant ;  and  Mr.  Charles  O.  Whitmore, 
of  the  firm  of  Lombard  &  Whitmore,  whose  residence  was 
near  the  Point,  and  who  acted  as  "  ship's-husband  "  for  the 
vessels  composing  the  fleet.  This  syndicate  equipped  four 
vessels  for  the  whale  fishery,  and  twenty  schooners,  of 
which  two  —  the  "  Belle  "  and  the  "  Preston  "  — •  were  built 
at  the  Point.  They  purchased  not  only  the  wharf,  but 
quite  a  tract  of  land  in  its  immediate  vicinity,  where  they 
put  up  flakes  for  the  drying  of  their  codfish.  They  also 
.built  some  cooper-shops  and  a  store  for  the  supply  of 
sailors'  outfits  and  ship  chandlery.  The  store  was  built 
from  the  material  used  in  the  construction  of  the  granary 
which  formerly  occupied  the  site  of  the  present  Park 
Street  Church  in  the  city  proper.  A  small  and  antiquated 
schooner,  called  the  "  Superior,"  was  employed  in  convey- 
ing the  "catch"  to  Boston.  The  names  of  the  whalers 
were  the  ships  "  Charles  Carroll "  (of  three  hundred  and 
eighty-six  tons),  the  "  Herald,"  the  "  Courier,"  and  the 
barque  "  Lewis." 

The  "  Charles  Carroll "  was  a  famous  ship  in  her  day. 
She  was  built  in  1828,  and  first  came  from  Newburyport, 
later  being  taken  from  the  merchant  service  to  be  used  in 
the  Dorchester  whaling  fleet     On  October  31,  1833,  the 


178  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1832. 

"Charles  Carroll"  sailed  for  the  Pacific  Ocean,  making  a 
voyage  which  lasted  nearly  four  years.  She  returned  to 
Commercial  Point  with  a  cargo  of  two  thousand  barrels  of 
sperm  oil  and  also  a  large  quantity  of  whalebone.  This 
vessel  had  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  fastest  of  her 
day ;  and  when  a  whale  was  once  sighted,  his  chances  were 
very  small  of  escaping  Ms  speedy  pursuer.  In  1852  the 
"  Charles  Carroll "  made  her  last  trip,  being  lost  while  on 
a  voyage  to  Europe.  Fortunately  the  crew  was  saved. 
Previous  to  this  the  vessel  had  been  sold  to  Messrs.  John 
H.  Pearson  &  Co.  for  their  line  of  Southern  packets.  It 
is  said  that  Anthony  Burns,  the  fugitive  slave,  came  to 
Boston  from  New  Orleans  on  the  "  Charles  Carroll." 

Mr.  William  C.  Codman,  from  whom  the  above  inter- 
esting facts  were  obtained,  describes  the  arrival  of  the 
"Charles  Carroll"  as  follows:  — 

"  I  well  remember  the  arrival  of  the  '  Charles  Carroll.'  The 
wharf  at  the  Point  was  lined  with  carriages  coming  from  great 
distances,  eoutaiuiug  relatives  or  friends  of  the  Jack  Tars. 
When  every  sail  had  been  furled,  they  were  allowed  to  go 
ashore.  Anxious  parents,  brothers,  and  sisters  awaited  them. 
The  Jacks  climbed  over  the  side  to  rush  iuto  their  relatives' 
embraces.  The  scene  will  never  be  effaced  from  my  memory. , 
'  Tom,  dear  Tom,'  said  one,  '  this  is  your  sister  whom  you 
have  never  seen.'  It  was  a  little  girl  of  three.  The  bronzed 
and  sunburnt  sailor  took  her  up  in  his  arms  and  gave  her  a 
smack  which  echoed  back  from  Dorchester  Heights.  An 
elderly  couple  hugged  and  squeezed  their  son  until  there  was 
not  enough  breath  to  blow  out  a  dog  vane.  The  fiancee  of 
another  sailor  was  not  so  demonstrative  at  first,  but  when 
they  had  got  to  a  secluded  part  of  the  wharf,  full  vent  was 
given,  and  it  is  unnecessary  to  state  how  many  kisses  were 
exchanged  and  how  much  billj'-cooing  was  done  by  the  parties 
interested.  But  it  was  sad  to  see  many  of  the  sailors  who  had 
no  relatives  or  sweethearts  to  welcome  their  return.  An  hour 
sufficed  to  clear  the  wharf,  and  Commercial  Point  resumed  its 
every-day  appearance,  with  the  exception   that  the   '  Charles 


1834.]      FKOM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.       179 

Carroll '  lay  at  the  end  of  the  pier  with  a  valuable  cargo,  which 
was  to  add  something  of  pecuniary  importance  to  the  coffers 
of  the  syndicate,  as  well  as  to  '  the  lay '  of  the  crew." 

The  "  Courier  "  made  voyages  from  Dorchester  iu  1834 
and  1836,  with  varying  success.  The  "  Herald  "  also  made 
voyages  at  about  the  same  time,  but  with  better  success. 
Robert  P.  Tolman  and  C.  Sumner  shipped  on  her,  as  boys, 
from  Dorchester,  and  returned  iu  her,  never  to  venture 
again  on  the  pursuit  of  whales.  The  "  Lewis "  was  for- 
merly a  ship,  but  was  converted  into  a  barque  after  she 
was  purchased  by  the  syndicate.  She  proved  unsuccessful, 
and  was  a  victim  of  the  war,  being  one  of  the  "  stone  fleet " 
which  was  sunk  off  Charleston  during  the  Rebellion. 

By  1840  the  last  of  the  ships  was  sold,  and  the  syndicate 
was  dissolved.  "  It  was  not  because  the  business  was 
unremunerative,"  writes  Mr.  Codman,  "but  because  Mr. 
Whitmore's  interest  in  liis  fu-m  required  his  attention  in 
the  city  proper.  For  many  years  afterward  C'ommercial 
Point  remained  desolate.  Quoting  from  an  old  merchant, 
*  The  rats  ran  about  the  wharf  with  tears  in  their  eyes.' 
At  present  there  are  a  few  schooners  landing  occasionally 
a  cargo  of  coal  at  the  wharf,  but  those  stately  ships  are  no 
more  forever." 

The  Neponset  River  was  used  for  navigation  as  early  as 
1820.  Four  years  later  a  lumber  wharf  was  built  near  the 
head  of  tide-water  by  Joseph  Porter;  and  in  1826  the 
Granite  Railway  Company  ran  a  railroad  from  Quincy  to 
the  tide-water  at  Gulliver's  Creek,  bringing  the  granite 
from  the  quarries  to  the  flat-bottomed  barges  at  the  creek 
in  large  cars.  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  was  before 
the  time  of  steam  transportation,  and  these  cars  were 
drawn  by  horses.  In  1827  William  Hobart  started  his 
grain  business  near  the  head  of  tide-water,  and  employed 
two  schooners  between  New  York  and  Dorchester,  the 
cargo  to  Dorchester  being  grain,  and  to  New  York  granite. 
Four  years  later  the  first  hard  coal  was  j)laced  on  sale  at 


180  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1834. 

Dorchester,  being  brought  up  the  Neponset.  Previous  to 
this  several  cargoes  of  hard  coal  had  been  unloaded  in 
Dorchester,  but  they  were  for  the  exclusive  use  of  some 
manufacturing  companies. 

The  navigation  of  the  river  attained  its  maximum  height 
in  1833,  when  seventy-four  vessels,  aggregating  six  thou- 
sand tons,  unloaded  their  cargoes  at  Neponset  Village,  at 
the  head  of  navigation,  besides  many  vessels  which  sailed 
up  the  river  empty  to  be  loaded  with  granite  to  be  trans- 
ported elsewhere.  The  navigation  was  practically  ruined 
when  the  Granite  Bridge  was  erected  in  1837. 

Several  firms  have  started  business  of  one  kind  or 
another  at  different  times  along  the  river,  but  most  of 
them  have  not  been  long-lived.  In  1839  a  grain  store 
was  built  at  Neponset  Bridge  by  jMicah  Humplirey.  He 
brought  his  grain  from  New  York,  and  took  back  leached 
ashes,  wliich  were  sold  at  Long  Island  to  be  used  for 
enriching  the  land.  Whatever  trade  has  remained  has 
gradually  been  sliifted  from  the  head  of  tide-water  to 
Neponset  itself,  so  that  many  people  have  forgotten  that 
the  head  of  tide-water  was  once  the  scene  of  busy 
shipping. 

Commercial  Point,  formerly  known  as  "  Tinian,"  was 
opened  as  a  place  of  business  early  in  this  century,  being 
purchased  by  Messrs.  Newell  &  Niles.  A  company  was 
formed  to  erect  a  dam  from  the  Point  across  Mill  Creek 
to  Leeds'  Point,  which,  it  was  expected,  would  furnish  a 
sufficient  supply  of  water  to  run  several  mills  and  manu- 
factories. The  owners  of  the  old  Tileston  mill  made 
serious  objections  to  the  plan,  and  caused  it  to  be  aban- 
doned. A  bridge  was  built  instead  of  the  dam ;  but  owing 
to  its  exposed  position  it  could  not  be  kept  in  repair,  and 
fuially  became  dilapidated.  Newell  &  Niles  were  unfortu- 
nate in  their  undertakings,  and  went  out  of  business.  Soon 
the  Point  was  neglected,  and  no  business  was  transacted 
there  until  the  sudden  burst  of  enthusiasm  in  1832. 


1834.]       FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.      181 

The  Point  is  located  at  the  mouth  of  the  Neijonset  River, 
and  is  favorably  situated  for  a  large  business.  The  activity 
of  1832-40,  however,  does  not  seem  likely  to  be  repeated ; 
and  the  future  prosperity  of  the  town  seems  destined  to  be 
derived  from  other  industries.  Unfortunately,  the  antici- 
pations expressed  in  the  following  lines,  written  by  Mr. 
Samuel  Davis,  of  Plymouth,  Mass.,  will  probably  never 
be  fulfilled :  — 

"  Where  Dorchester  her  hicid  bosom  swells, 
Courts  her  young  navies,  and  the  town  repels ; 
High  on  the  Mount,  amid  the  fragrant  air, 
Hope  stood  sublime,  and  waved  her  auburn  hair; 
Calmed  with  her  rosy  smile  the  tossing  deep, 
And  with  sweet  accents  charmed  the  woods  to  sleep. 
To  southern  plains  she  stretched  her  snowy  hand, 
High-waving  woods  and  sea-encircled  strand  — 
'  Hear  me  '  (she  cried)  '  ye  rising  realms  record 
Time's  opening  scenes,  and  Truth's  unerring  word. 
There  shall  broad  streets  their  statel}-  walls  extend, 
The  CiRCi'S  widen  and  the  Crescent  bend ; 
There,  from  famed  cities,  o'er  the  cultured  land 
Shall  bright  canals  and  solid  roads  expand  — 
There  the  proud  arch,  colossus-like,  bestride 
Yon  circling  liay,  and  bound  the  chasing  tide; 
Embellished  villas  crown  the  landscape  scene, 
Farms  wave  with  gold,  and  orchards  blush  between. 
There  shall  tall  spires  and  dome-capped  towers  ascend, 
And  piers  and  quays  their  massive  structures  blend  — 
While  with  each  breeze  approaching  vessels  glide, 
And  eastern  treasures  waft  on  every  tide.' 
Then  ceased  the  nyuipli,  —  tumultuous  echoes  roar. 
And  Joy's  loud  voice  was  heard  from  shore  to  shore. 
Her  graceful  steps,  descending,  pressed  the  plain, 
And  Peace,  and  Art,  and  Labor  joined  her  train." 

The  Dorchester  Anti-Slavery  Society  was  organized 
April  24,  1835.  Dr.  Samuel  MuUiken,  a  well-knowu 
physician  in  the  town,  was  elected  president,  and  the  Rev. 
David  Sanford,  the  pastor  of  the  Village  Church  at  the 
Lower  Mills,  was   chosen   corresponding  secretary.     The 


182  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1835. 

object  of  the  society  is  indicated  by  its  name ;  but  a  funda- 
mental i^rinciple,  as  laid  down  in  the  constitution,  was 
"never  to  countenance  the  opj^ressed  in  vindicating  their 
rights  by  resorting  to  physical  force."  One  of  the  first 
acts  of  tills  newly  organized  society  was  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  the  coming  Fourth  of  July ;  and  the  result  was 
pronounced  by  members  of  the  society  to  be  "the  most 
Christian,  and,  for  the  times,  the  most  appropriate  celebra- 
tion of  the  day  that  ever  took  place  in  Dorchester." 

The  celebration  was  held  in  the  Second  Church,  four 
clergymen  of  different  denominations  taking  part  in  the 
exercises  of  the  day.  Among  these  was  Rev.  E.  M.  P. 
Wells,  in  whose  memory  the  Wells  Memorial  Building  in 
Boston  was  erected.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Jr.,  who  afterwards 
was  pastor  of  the  First  Parish  Church  for  forty  years,  was 
present,  and  took  an  active  part.  It  is  more  than  probable 
that  Mr.  Hall  was  influenced  greatly  by  the  oration  deliv- 
ered on  this  occasion  by  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  for  he 
was  very  decided  in  his  stand  against  slavery  from  that 
time.  On  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Hall's  fortieth  anniversary 
of  his  connection  with  the  First  Parish,  the  "  Christian 
Register  "  said :  "  No  other  pulpit  in  America  was  more 
earnestly  or  more  powerfully  outspoken  in  behalf  of 
human  freedom  in  the  most  critical  day  of  the  anti-slavery 
struggle." 

In  1835  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Jr.,  was  ordained 
colleague  with  Rev.  Dr.  Harris ;  and  upon  the  latter's 
resignation,  a  year  later,  Mr.  Hall  assumed  entire  charge 
of  the  First  Parish. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  in  IBO-S  Dorchester  lost  its 
first  slice  by  annexation,  when  Boston  took  Dorchester 
Neck,  or  South  Boston,  to  relieve  its  crowded  limits.  The 
next  movement  in  the  same  direction  was  in  1836,  when 
the  inhabitants  of  Little  Neck,  Washington  Village,  asked 
to  be  annexed  to  Boston.  They  urged  that  they  were  four 
miles  from  the  town  house,  and  more  than  a  mile  from  any 


183B]      FKOM  THE   BEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        183 

scliool.  Occasionally  they  were  unable  to  enjoy  any  school 
advantages  at  all,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  tide-water  was 
allowed  to  overflow  the  public  road.  It  was  natural  that 
the  mother  town  should  be  unwilling  to  lose  more  of  its 
territory.  As  we  have  seen,  Milton,  Stoughton,  Canton, 
and  several  other  towns  had  been  previously  set  off,  taking 
away  from  the  extent  of  old  Dorchester,  leaving  a  stretch 
of  land  but  ten  miles  in  length,  and  containing  only  about 
seven  thousand  acres  of  land.  The.  loss  of  Dorchester 
Neck  curtailed  the  town  still  further,  and  the  town  felt 
that  it  would  take  little  more  to  cause  its  identity  to  be 
destroyed.  The  opposition  to  the  annexation  was  effective 
in  postponing  the  event,  the  matter  being  delayed  until 
May  21,  1855,  when  Washington  Village  finally  became  a 
part  of  the  city  of  Boston. 

On  January  30,  1836,  Dorchester  lost  one  of  its  fore- 
most manufacturers.  Mr.  William  Sumner  was  the  last 
one  of  his  name  to  be  connected  with  the  paper  industry, 
which  had  been  conducted  by  his  family  since  1781.  The 
"  Sumner  Mill "  was  well  known  to  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  town  ;  but  with  the  decease  of  Mr.  Sumner,  as  recorded 
above,  the  business  passed  into  other  hands. 

This  mill  was  originally  built  by  George  Clark  of 
Milton.  In  1773  the  town  deeded  to  him  fourteen  acres 
of  land,  on  condition  that  the  mill  be  built  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  thus  coming  iinder  the  taxable 
property  of  Dorchester.  In  return  for  this  iDroperty  Mr. 
Clark  paid  the  town  something  over  five  hundi-ed  dollars. 

A  paper  mill  was  at  once  erected,  and  Mr.  Clark  began 
business.  Owing  to  various  causes,  the  enterjDrise  did  not 
prove  as  lucrative  as  had  been  expected,  and  in  1786  the 
property  was  bought  by  William  Sumner  and  Patrick 
Connor.  After  continuing  the  business  together  for  a  short 
time,  Mr.  Connor  transferred  part  of  his  share  to  Richard 
Clark,  and  in  1794  Connor  made  over  a  life  estate  in  his 
remaining   share   to   George    Clark,  and  the  reversionary 


184  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1839. 

interest  to  Jeremiah  Tucker  Clark.  When  Richard  Clark 
died,  in  179(3,  Mr.  Sumner  bought  out  the  shares  of  the 
Clark  family,  assuming  entire  control  of  the  business. 

In  1839  Lyceum  Hall  was  built  at  Meeting-House  Hill. 
Mr.  Henry  A.  Clapp,  writing  of  it,  says,  "  Few  buildings 
of  its  sort  in  New  England  have  been  allied  in  more  inti- 
mate and  diverse  fasliion  to  the  life  of  a  community  during 
a  half-century  of  what  we  may  call  aularian  existence." 
This  building  was  «rected  upon  land  at  Meeting-House 
Hill  which  the  town  of  Dorchester  had  deeded  for  that 
purj^ose  in  accordance  with  a  vote  passed  in  town  meeting 
that  same  year.  A  building  committee  was  chosen,  con- 
sisting of  Colonel  Walter  Baker,  president;  Samuel  P. 
Loud,  treasurer;  John  H.  Robinson,  collector;  and  Messrs. 
Tliomas  Tremlett,  William  Swan,  Moses  Draper,  and 
Oliver  Hall. 

Before  the  committee  had  been  chosen,  the  promoters  of 
the  enterprise  had  issued  an  "  Address  to  our  Fellow  Citi- 
zens," in  which  the  arguments  in  favor  of  building  such  a 
hall  were  clearly  laid  down.  Dorchester,  this  circidar 
informed  its  readers,  was  "distinguished  from  almost 
every  considerable  village  in  New  England  in  being  with- 
out a  suitable  place  for  public  meetings,  —  a  distinction 
not  certainly  commendable,  since  as  a  consequence  we  are 
deprived  of  much  intellectual  and  moral  benefit."  Atten- 
tion was  particularly  called  to  the  fact  that  "  our  location 
with  regard  to  Boston  and  Cambridge  affords  us  peculiar 
facilities  for  the  obtaining  of  agreeable  and  accomplished 
lecturers."  Moreover,  "  another  end  to  be  served  was  the 
important  one  of  affording  a  place  for  free  and  public 
discussions  on  subjects  of  common  interest,  and  for  mutual 
improvement  in  debate,  declamation,  or  other  valuable 
accomplishments." 

These  were  the  public  interests  which  the  promoters 
thought  the  hall  would  subserve ;  but  there  was  further 
usefulness  which  was  of  hardly  less  importance.     It  might 


1840.]      FROM   THE   KEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        187 

be  used  by  the  Firet  Parish  as  a  room  in  which  the  choir 
could  rehearse  more  frequently  and  conveniently,  enabling 
the  singers  to  improve  in  their  "sweet  and  sacred  art,"  as 
the  wording  of  the  circular  expressed  it.  There  would 
also  be  an  ojjjjortunity  for  the  First  Parish  to  hold  its 
Sunday-school  in  this  building,  thus  saving  the  chikken 
from  "  spending  the  intermission  in  a  manner  calculated  to 
efface  the  good  impression  which  may  have  been  received," 
the  temptation  being  afforded  by  the  necessity  of  dis- 
missing the  childi-en  at  an  early  hour,  when  the  regular 
service  of  the  Church  began.  There  is  nothing  to  show 
that  the  First  Church  ever  availed  itself  of  the  oppor- 
tunities suggested  by  the  circular ;  but,  without  that,  there 
was  ample  need  of  better  accommodations. 

Lyceum  Hall  was  finished  in  February,  1840,  having 
anterooms  and  a  gallery  in  front.  On  the  27th  of  the 
month  extensive  preparations  were  made  for  the  dedication 
of  the  building.  Governor  Edward  Everett  being  invited 
to  deliver  the  oration.  He  found  it  inconvenient,  however, 
to  be  present;  so  Hon.  Horace  Mann  was  the  orator  of 
the  occasion.  Colonel  Baker  presided,  and  Rev.  John 
Pierpont  composed  a  hymn,  also  offering  prayer.  Mr. 
Samuel  Swan  lent  his  piano  for  the  occasion,  acting  him- 
self as  accompanist  to  the  singers.  Two  tickets  were  sent 
to  each  minister  and  one  to  each  schoolmaster  in  the 
town,  and  five  hundred  were  distributed  in  all.  The  Dor- 
chester ladies  contributed  $125  towards  the  purchase  of 
a  chandelier. 

It  was  proposed  at  first  to  name  the  hall  after  the  popular 
president  of  the  committee.  Colonel  Walter  Baker ;  but  he 
stoutly  declined  the  honor,  and  the  name  of  "  Lyceum 
Hall "  was  decided  upon. 

In  1866  the  stock  passed  into  new  hands,  and  the  hall 
was  partially  rebuilt.  The  anterooms  and  gallery  were 
removed,  and  additions  and  entrances  were  made  on  the 
sides  and  in  the  rear.     "Almost  from  the  moment  of  its 


188  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1840. 

completion,"  says  Mr.  Clapp,  "  Lyceum  Hall  began  througli 
its  engagements  to  furnish  an  abstract  and  brief  chronicle 
of  the  intellectual  and  social  life  of  Dorchester,  and  in  no 
small  degree  of  the  larger  life  of  the  commonwealth  and 
the  nation." 

The  idea  of  having  popular  lectures  was  just  receiving 
recognition  at  this  time,  and  thus  Lyceum  Hall  became  a 
potent  factor  in  educating  the  minds  of  the  community, 
and  influencing  their  political  opinion.  Dr.  Jerome  Van 
Crowninshield  Smith,  afterwards  mayor  of  Boston,  lectured 
on  Geology  ;  Mr.  Purdett  talked  on  Phrenology ;  Mr.  W. 
Phillips,  Mr.  William  Lloyd  Garrison,  Rev.  John  Pierpont, 
and  Theodore  Parker  caused  much  excitement  in  advocat- 
ing the  abolition  of  slaveiy. 

In  1847  St.  Mary's  Episcopal  Church  began  to  hold  its 
services  here.     A  writer,  referring  to  these  services,  says : 

"I  well  remember  my  small-boyish  recoguitiou  of  a  certain 
piquancy  imparted  to  such  church-going  by  the  secular  flavor 
of  the  room,  two  of  the  corners  of  which  were  always  stiffly 
occupied  by  life-sized  plaster  statues  of  two  of  the  more  repu- 
table goddesses  of  the  Ancieut  Roman  persuasion.  Bewilder- 
ing traces  of  the  concert  or  negro  minstrelsy  to  which  the  haU 
had  been  devoted  on  Saturday  night  had  not  always  alto- 
gether disappeared  on  Sunday  morning,  and  an  unfailing 
interest  attached  to  the  mystical  sets  of  concentric  ciicles, 
painted  in  permanent  white  at  regular  intervals  upon  the  floor, 
the  meaning  of  which  is  not  clear  to  me  now,  although  I  recall 
that  my  eager  inquny  was  stifled,  not  met,  by  the  information 
that  they  were  used  in  dancing." 

The  Dorchester  Whigs  at  once  made  Lyceum  Hall  theii- 
headquarters.  Li  Mr.  Samuel  Swan's  diary,  under  the 
date  of  July  3,  1840,  is  the  following  interesting  entry: 

"The  Whigs  spent  the  day  rigging  up  a  vessel  in  front  of 
the  hall,  to  be  drawn  in  procession  to  a  grand  rallj^  in  Dedham 
the  next  day.     All  night  the  young  Whigs  kept  lively  watch 


1840.]      FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.       189 

at  the  reading-room  to  prevent  the  Locofocos  from  destroying 
the  vessel  before  she  should  start  on  her  first  voyage.  The 
Democrats,  in  the  old  gun  house  near  by  also  held  vigil  that 
the  Whigs  should  not  be  able  to  spike  the  cannon  with  which 
they  proposed  to  celebrate  the  opening  of  the  coming  Foiu-th." 

During  the  war  the  hall  was  used  as  a  recruiting  place, 
and  for  receptions  to  companies  of  volunteers  on  their 
departure  or  arrival.  In  1851,  on  the  occasion  of  the  great 
"  railroad  jubilee,"  President  Fillmore  stepped  off  the  train 
at  Harrison  Square,  and  was  escorted  into  Boston  by  the 
Lancers,  between  rows  of  Dorchester  school-childi-en,  the 
procession  starting  in  front  of  the  hall. 

It  is  not  possible  to  allude  to  all  the  important  events 
which  took  place  underneath  the  roof  of  Lyceum  Hall. 
When  the  town  was  annexed  to  Boston  the  building  lost 
some  of  its  historical  fame,  being  brought  into  competition 
with  Faneuil  Hall  and  other  celebrated  antiquities  ;  but  it 
will  always  remain  the  same  to  the  old  residents  of  the 
town.  It  was  with  deep  regret  to  many  that  the  building 
finally  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  city  of  Boston,  as  its 
associations  clearly  belonged  to  the  individuality  of  Good 
Old  Dorchester.  At  the  present  time  Lyceum  Hall  is  used 
for  a  primary  school,  having  been  purchased  by  the  city  in 
1891,  and  remodelled  for  this  purpose. 

The  ijresideutial  campaign  of  1840  was  entered  into 
with  much  enthusiasm,  especially  by  the  young  men  of  the 
town.  Mr.  William  C.  Codman  was  one  of  the  partici- 
pants, and  he  gives  us  an  interesting  account  of  the  pro- 
ceedings.    He  says :  — 

"  We  —  that  is,  the  Whigs  of  Dorchester  —  were  accustomed 
during  this  campaign  to  march  to  the  number  of  some  hundreds 
to  a  barn  (the  wigwams  or  log  cabins  not  being  sufficiently  ca- 
pacious), and  there  listen  to  the  campaign  orators.  By  the  bye, 
it  was  generally  conceded  that  a  barn  nearest  resembled  a  log 
cabin.     We  ignored  public  halls,  meeting  and  town  houses,  out 


190  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEE.  [1840. 

of  respect  to  our  Buckeye  candidate.  Major  Capeu  had  a 
uiamnioth  baru  on  River  Street,  at  the  Lower  Mills,  which  was 
our  principal  rendezvous.  On  each  side  of  the  doors  a  barrel 
of  hard  eider  was  "on  tap."  From  these  we  stimulated  when 
we  went  in,  also  at  intervals  during  the  speeches,  and  then  we 
stimulated  when  we  went  out.  I  have  heard  that  hard  cider  is 
supposed  to  make  one  cross,  but  I  am  positive  it  had  the 
contrary  effect  on  us.  We  were  intensely  amiable.  In  this 
campaign  our  war  cry  was  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too.' 

"Among  the  speakers  at  one  of  these  gatherings  was  Mr. 
Goodrich,  better  known  as  '  Peter  Parley.'  A  capital  anec- 
dote told  by  him,  which  brought  down  the  house  (barn,  if  you 
please),  I  well  remember,  though  forty-three  years  have  passed 
since  it  was  narrated :  '  Not  far  from  the  spot  where  we  are 
now  assembled  lives  a  well-to-do  farmer.  He  does  not  dabble 
much  in  politics,  but  his  weekly  newspaper  keeps  him  fairly 
posted  on  the  great  issues  of  the  day.  I  think  he  had  not  quite 
made  up  his  mind  on  which  side  to  vote ;  but  the  matter  was 
soon  settled  when  his  wife  rushed  into  the  corn  barn,  where  he 
was  husking,  saying,  "Joe,  I  know  now  who  is  going  to  be  the 
next  President."  "Nonsense,"  said  Joe  ;  "who  told  j'ou?" 
"  The  pigeons  did ;  for  when  I  went  to  feed  them  they  cooed 
out '  Tip-e-canoe-oo-oo — Tippecanoe,'  and  you  'd  better  vote  for 
him  if  you  want  to  save  your  reputation  for  shrewdness."' 

"On  the  morning  of  the  10th of  September,  there  gathered 
in  front  of  the  town  hall  exactly  one  hundred  Whigs.  It  was  a 
motley  company,  both  as  to  men,  horses,  and  equipments.  My 
memory  reverts  to  the  old  farm  horse  on  which  I  was  mounted, 
and  I  laugh,  while  I  write,  at  the  ludicrous  appearance  of  the 
horse  —  and  its  rider.  My  two  brothers  and  myself  had  drawn 
lots  for  the  three  horses  from  our  father's  stable,  which  resulted 
in  my  getting  'old  Black,'  while  my  more  fortunate  brothers 
each  had  a  spirited  and  handsome  bob-tail  bay.  Accustomed 
as  my  steed  had  been  for  fourteen  years  to  the  fields,  it  is  easy 
to  imagine  the  effect  of  martial  music  on  his  unaccustomed  ear. 
When  we  were  ordered  to  fall  in,  and  at  the  very  first  sound  of 
drum  and  fife,  '  Old  Black '  was  in  a  high  state  of  nervous 
excitement,  and  at  once  forged  ahead  of  the  whole  cavalcade, 
so   that   I   might   easily  have  been  taken  for  one  of  James's 


1840.]      FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        191 

'solitary  horsemeu,'  —  aud  then,  after  considerable  cavorting, 
he  would  drop  as  far  astern  as  he  had  ranged  ahead ;  but,  with 
backing  and  filling,  I  finally  succeeded  in  averaging  it  around, 
so  that  when  we  had  reached  the  '  Neck,'  where  we  were 
received  by  an  escort  from  Boston,  I  was  in  my  proper  place. 
Additions  to  our  numbers  were  then  made  by  the  cavalcades 
from  Roxbury,  Brookline,  and  Brighton,  and,  as  a  whole,  we 
presented  a  formidable  array  of  stalwart  Harrisouites,  and  must 
have  impressed  the  Democrats,  or  Locofocos,  —  for  we  called 
them  by  both  names,  —  that  the  victory  was  ours.  The  pro- 
cession moved  on  to  Beacon  Street,  where  we  rested  at  the  old 
frame  building, — then  a  tavern,  and,  I  believe,  still  standing 
on  the  corner  of  Parker  aud  Beacon  streets. 

"A  glorious  day  up  to  this  time,  but  the  gathering  clouds 
were  ominous.  The  word  of  command  was  again  given,  and 
the  whole  procession  —  immense,  overpowering  procession,  we 
thought  —  proceeded  on  towards  Charlestown.  We  made  a 
detour  at  AVinter  Street,  so  as  to  pass  the  Old  South  Meeting- 
House ;  it  would  have  been  unpatriotic  not  to  have  done  so. 
How  ingloriously  we  passed  that  relic  of  '  ye  olden  time '  any 
one  of  our  cavalcade  will  well  remember;  for,  when  we  had 
turned  from  Winter  into  Washington  Street,  it  began  to  rain  in 
torrents,  completely  deluging  us.  Without  waiting  for  orders, 
squad  after  squad  left  the  ranks  for  shelter,  going  to  Taft's,  the 
New  England  Coffee  House,  or  the  '  Stackpole,'  on  Milk  Street, 
while  comparatively  few  went  on  to  Charlestown,  where  they 
listened  to  the  'great  expounder.' 

"After  the  exercises  were  over,  and  the  procession  had 
reached  the  head  of  State  Street,  the  deserters  again  joined  the 
cavalcade,  and  we  returned  to  Dorchester.  On  reaching 
Meeting  House  Hill,  we  were  jeered  at  by  a  number  of  Demo- 
crats, and  not  very  complimentary  allusions  were  made  to  our 
bespattered  condition.  In  front  of  Captain  Ebenezer  Eaton's 
store,  suspended  to  an  old  elm,  was  hung  out  (fortunately  very 
low)  a  red  flannel  petticoat,  typifing  our  candidate  as  an  '  old 
granny ' !  We  had  been  obliged,  during  the  day,  to  pass  under 
a  great  many  of  these  petticoats,  particularly  on  the  Neck, 
where  there  were  then  many  trees,  but  few  houses.  This  was 
more  exasperating  than  the  jeers ;  but  we  had  an  heroic  sea 
11 


192  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1842. 

captaiu  among  us.  Rushing  out  from  the  ranks  at  a  full 
gallop,  he  tore  the  petticoat  from  the  branches,  and,  amid  the 
anathemas  and  howls  of  the  Locofocos,  bore  it  in  triumph 
back  to  the  cavalcade,  which  had  resumed  its  march  to  the 
Town  Hall,  where,  after  singing  a  campaign  song,  we  were 
dismissed."' 

It  will  undoubtedly  be  something  of  a  surprise  to  many 
of  Dorchester's  present  inhabitants  to  learn  that  the  town 
was  conservative  enough  in  1842  to  make  a  strong  objec- 
tion to  the  "modern"  invention  of  railroads.  When  a 
petition  was  brought  before  the  Legislature,  asking  permis- 
sion to  build  a  railroad  from  Boston  to  Quincy  by  any  one 
of  three  routes  passing  through  Dorchester,  the  town  was 
bitter  in  its  opposition.  A  legal  meeting  of  the  citizens 
of  the  town  was  held  February  2,  with  Col.  Walter  Baker 
presiding  as  moderator.  At  this  meeting  the  following 
resolutions  were  passed :  — 

Resolved,  That,  in  the  opinion  of  the  inhabitants,  the  railroad 
petitioned  for  by  Thomas  Greenleaf  and  others,  if  located  upon 
either  of  the  lines  designated  upon  their  plan,  will  be  of  iucal- 
culable  injury  to  the  town  generally,  in  addition  to  the  immense 
sacrifice  of  private  property  which  will  also  be  involved.  A 
great  portion  of  the  road  will  lead  through  thickly  settled  and 
populous  parts  of  the  town,  crossing  and  running  contiguous  to 
public  highways,  and  thereby  making  a  permanent  obstruction 
to  a  free  intercourse  of  our  citizens  from  one  part  of  the  town  to 
another,  and  creating  great  and  enduring  danger  and  hazard  to 
all  travel  upon  the  common  roads. 

Resolved,  That  if,  in  the  opinion  of  the  legislature,  there  can 
be  shown  sufficient  evidence  of  public  utility  to  justify  the 
taking  of  private  property  at  all,  for  the  construction  of  this 
projected  railroad,  it  should  be  located  upon  the  marshes,  and 
over  creeks  bordering  the  harbor  and  Neponset  River,  and  as 
remote  as  possible  from  all  other  roads ;  and  by  which  a  less 

>  The  Presidential  Campaign  of  1840.  —  Boston  Saturday  Evening  Gazette, 
Oct.  7,  1883. 


1842.]      FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        193 

sacrifice  will  be  made  of   private  property,   and  a  much  less 
injury  occasioned  to  the  town  and  the  public  generally. 

Resolved,  That  our  representatives  be  instructed  to  use  their 
utmost  endeavors  to  prevent,  if  possible,  so  great  a  calamity  to 
our  town  as  must  be  the  location  of  any  railroad  through  it ; 
and  if  that  cannot  be  prevented,  to  diminish  this  calamity,  as 
far  as  possible,  by  confining  the  location  to  the  route  herein 
designated. 

A  true  copy  from  the  Dorchester  records. 
Attest : 

(Signed)      Thomas  J.  Tolman, 
Dorchester,  Feb.  3,  1842.  Town  Clerk. 

A  committee  was  appointed  and  legal  counsel  obtained 
to  oppose  the  measure  before  the  Legislature.  The  repre- 
sentatives of  the  town  in  that  body  were  instructed  to 
use  their  utmost  power  to  prevent  the  location  of  so  di-ead 
an  evil  within  the  Dorchester  limits.  The  town  urged 
that  "  the  property  and  the  comfort,  and  perhaps  the  lives, 
of  their  fellow-citizens  were  deeply  interested  in  the  result 
of  their  remonstrance,  and  that  the  expenses  of  the  ablest 
counsel  were  not  to  be  considered  when  such  interests 
were  at  stake." 

For  two  years  the  "  calamity "  which  threatened  the 
town  was  warded  off;  but  in  1844,  when  a  petition  was 
presented  for  the  formation  of  the  Old  Colony  road  from 
Boston  to  Plymouth,  the  subject  of  the  Quincy  road  was 
again  revived.  Again  the  measure  met  the  most  violent 
opposition ;  but  the  success  of  the  Boston  and  Albany 
road's  "  tlii'ough  line  to  the  West,"  terminating  at  Albany, 
had  so  steeled  the  hearts  of  the  legislators  that  all  opposi- 
tion was  in  vain.  Two  steam  railroads,  with  branch  tracks, 
were  built  in  Dorchester ;  and  the  town  has  suffered  the 
misfortune  of  having  steam  transportation  ever  since ! 

At  the  time  the  railroad  was  built  there  were  only  two 
small  houses  at  Savin  Hill,  easterly  from  the  track ;  there 
were  only  a  few  at  what  was  afterwards  called  Harrison 


194  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1843. 

Square ;  and  at  Nepon.set  there  were  no  houses  east  of  the 
Neponset  Turnpike.^  Soon  after  the  road  was  built, 
several  active  business  men  moved  to  Dorchester,  and  did 
much  to  build  up  the  easterly  part  of  the  town,  including 
Harrison  Square  and  Neponset.  Among  these  may  be 
mentioned  Messrs.  Edward  King,  Franklin  King,  Nathan 
Carruth  (first  president  of  the  Old  Colony  Railroad),  A. 
T.  Stearns,  Manoah  Leavitt,  David  B.  Bartlett,  A.  S. 
Mansfield,  Laban  Pratt,  and  S.  S.  Putnam. 

On  April  3,  1842,  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris  died- 
in  Boston.  He  was  buried  from  the  First  Parish  Church, 
where  he  had  labored  so  long  and  faithfully ;  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Hall  delivered  the  funeral  address. 

On  Jan.  27, 1843,  several  Dorchester  gentlemen,  who  were 
impressed  with  the  importance  of  collecting  and  preserving 
the  materials  relating  to  the  early  history  of  the  town  and 
colony,  from  which  one  million  peojDle  are  said  to  have 
descended,  met  together  to  adopt  measures  to  accomplish 
this  end.  Tliis  was  the  beginning  of  the  Dorchester 
Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society. 

The  Hon.  Edmund  P.  Tileston  was  elected  the  first 
president  of  the  society ;  Ebenezer  Clapp,  Jr.,  was  chosen 
to  hold  the  office  of  corresponding  secretary;  Edward 
Holden  was  the  librarian,  and  Edmund  J.  Baker,  William 
D.  Swan,  and  Henry  M.  Leeds  the  curators. 

The  society  adopted  a  constitution,  and  proclaimed 
itself  as  organized  for  the  "collection  and  preservation  of 
books,  pamphlets,  manuscripts,  and  curiosities,  bearing  on 
the  biography  and  liistory  of  men  and  things  in  the  United 
States  from  the  earliest  times."  The  plan  was  closely 
followed ;  and  a  large  library  of  books,  pamphlets,  and 
manuscripts,  bearing  more  particularly  on  the  history  of 
the  town,  was  collected.  But  two  members  of  this  society 
are  now  alive,  —  Messrs.  Henry  G.  Denny  and  William  B. 
Trask. 

'  H.  W.  Blanchard  :  Opposition  to  tlie  Old  Colony  Railroad. 
^  See  page  241. 


1843.]     FBOM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        195 

It  was  due  to  the  exertions  of  this  society  that  the  last 
"  History  of  Dorcliester  "  was  given  to  the  public.  Early 
in  its  liistory  the  society  appointed  a  special  committee, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  James  M.  Robbins,  Edmund  J. 
Baker,  Ebenezer  Clapp,  Jr.,  William  D.  Swan,  Edward 
Holden,  Edmund  P.  Tileston,  and  William  B.  Trask,  for 
the  pui'pose  of  collecting  the  materials  for  a  general 
history  of  the  town.  This  work  was  issued  in  numbers 
published  at  irregular  intervals,  wliich  were  finally  brought 
together  in  one  volume  in  1859.  Diligent  search  of  the 
Probate  Recorils,  and  faithful  work  in  examining  manu- 
scripts in  the  State  archives,  as  well  as  pereonal  facts 
gleaned  from  old  inhabitants  themselves,  make  this 
volume  of  inestimable  value  to  all  interested  in  the 
history  of  the  town. 

The  Antiquarian  Society  also  published  the  Memoirs  of 
Roger  Claji,  James  Blake's  "  Annals  of  Dorchester,"  and 
Richard  Mather's  Journal.  The  original  copy  of  Mr. 
Mather's  Journal,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  author,  was 
found  among  some  documents  formerly  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Blake. 

Dr.  Samuel  Mulliken,  a  prominent  physician  of  the 
town,  died  Feb.  20,  1843.  He  was  graduated  from 
Harvard  College  in  1819,  and  settled  as  a  physician  in 
Dorchester  soon  after.  For  some  time  his  practice  was 
limited ;  but  when  he  removed  to  Centre  Street  his  busi- 
ness increased,  and  he  acquired  a  good  reputation.  Dr. 
Mulliken  was  a  native  of  Lexington. 

In  the  year  1848  several  mill  owners  on  the  Neponset 
River  joined  together,  and  formed  a  corporation  known  as 
the  Neponset  Reservoir  Company.  It  had  been  found  that 
in  tU-y  weather  the  natural  Avater  supply  sometimes  jH'Oved 
inadequate,  and  this  company  was  formed  in  order  to 
provide  for  the  deficiency.  A  dam  was  built  in  Foxboro', 
which  held  back  the  waters  of  the  different  brooks,  and 
thus  formed  a  reservoir  covering  three  hundi-ed  and  fifty 


196  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1848. 

acres,  and  varying  from  seven  to  ten  feet  in  depth.  Tliis 
proved  a  valuable  supply  of  water  from  which  to  diaw  as 
circumstances  demanded. 

It  is  from  the  western  side  of  tliis  reservoir  that  the 
Neponset  River  takes  its  rise.  It  flows  through  the  town 
of  Walpole,  here  being  enforced  by  the  waters  of  Diamond 
and  Mill  Brooks.  Its  course  then  continues  tlu'ough 
Sharon  and  Dedham,  receiving,  just  beyond  the  last-named 
town,  the  little  stream  known  as  Bubbling  Brook.  After 
separating  the  towns  of  Sharon  and  Dedham,  the  river 
continues  its  mark  of  division  by  forming  the  boundary 
line  of  Dedham  and  Canton.  The  course  thus  described 
completes  the  western  branch  of  the  river. 

The  eastern  branch  has  had  much  hajjpen  ui)on  its  banks 
to  make  it  famous.  It  takes  its  rise  in  Sharon,  starting 
with  the  surplus  water  of  Massapoag  Pond.  Early  in  the 
century  this  stream,  enlarged  by  uniting  with  York  Brook 
at  Canton,  •  had  a  dam  built  across  it  by  the  Neponset 
Woollen  Manufactiu'ing  Company,  and  a  large  reservoir 
was  thus  formed,  extending  over  tlu-ee  hundi-ed  acres  of 
territory.  When  this  company  failed  the  property  came 
into  possession  of  the  Revere  Copper  Company. 

A  powder  mill  was  early  built  upon  the  banks  by 
Benjamin  Everett ;  in  1789  Jonathan  Leonard  and  Adam 
Kinsley  had  their  celebrated  forges  there ;  James  Beau- 
mont, in  1800,  started  a  cotton  mill,  and  a  year  later  Paul 
Revere  established  the  first  copper  works  in  America. 

The  eastern  and  western  branches  are  hardly  united 
when  they  receive  the  surplus  water  of  Ponkapoag  Pond. 
Two  miles  farther  on,  the  river  separates  the  towns  of 
Dedliam  and  Milton.  Gradually  its  waters  are  increased, 
the  mother  brook  pouring  in  her  contributions  just 
before  Dorchester  and  Milton  each  claim  it  as  its  boun- 
dary line.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  it  receives  a 
stream  originally  known  as  "Robert  Babcock's  River,"  but 
later  called  "Aunt  Sarah's  Brook."      The  story  told  in 


1848.]      FROM   THE   KEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        199 

regard  to  the  change  of  name  is,  that  about  a  mile  south 
of  Milton  Bridge,  the  brook  approaches  the  old  Taunton 
Road,  in  Milton,  and  there  forms  a  public  watering  place. 
Directly  opposite  the  brook  was  situated  the  house  of 
Elijah  Vose.  After  his  death,  and  during  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  liis  wddow  Sarah  lived  in  the  house,  and  when- 
ever the  weather  was  sufficiently  favorable,  she  would  sit 
in  the  door,  and  call  out  to  every  one  who  passed,  "  What 's 
the  news  from  the  war?  I  have  four-  sons  gone  to  the 
war,  —  what 's  the  news  from  the  war  ? "  Whether 
the  anxious  mother  ever  received  the  tidings  she  desired, 
the  story  does  not  state ;  but  her  name  was  given  to  the 
brook  in  remembrance  of  her  fidelity. 

Dorchester  is  also  separated  from  Quincy  by  this  self- 
same Neponset  River,  which,  just  after  performing  this 
service,  loses  its  identity  in  Dorchester  Bay. 

In  April,  1851,  the  tide  between  the  mouth  of  the  river 
and  the  head  of  tidewater  reached  the  remarkable  height 
of  sixteen  feet,  eight  and  a  half  inches.  To  commemorate 
this,  the  Dorchester  Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society 
placed  an  iron  bolt  in  a  rock  just  below  the  bridge  at  the 
Lower  Falls. 

Rev.  John  Codman,  D.D.,  the  fii-st  pastor  of  the  Second 
Parish,  died  December  23,  1847,  bringing  to  a  close  a  most 
useful  life.'  His  funeral  occurred  from  the  church  in 
which  he  had  ministered  so  long.  Rev.  Richard  S.  Storrs, 
D.D.,  of  Braintree,  preacliing  the  sermon.  The  Rev.  James 
H.  Means,  Dr.  Codman's  successor,  was  ordained  July  13, 
the  following  year. 

In  1852  Dorchester  suffered  a  loss  in  the  death  of  Dr. 
Robert  Thaxter.  He  was  born  in  Hingham  October  21, 
1776,  and  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1798.  He 
studied  medicine  with  his  father,  Dr.  Thomas  Thaxter,  and 
for  a  time  he  was  associated  with  him  in  business  in  Hing- 
'  See  page  252. 


200  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1852. 

ham.  Ill  1809  lie  began  practice  in  Dorchester,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death  from  ship  fever,  February  9,  he 
enjoyed  a  large  medical  and  surgical  practice,  and  won  an 
enviable  reputation  as  a  physician  and  citizen.  For  more 
than  thirty  years  he  was  not  detained  from  his  business  a 
single  day  by  sickness.  He  was  a  man  of  noble,  self- 
sacrificing  spirit.  It  was  only  necessary  for  him  to  know 
that  his  services  were  needed ;  he  did  not  inquire  whether 
the  sufferer  was  a  native  citizen  or  a  foreigner ;  whether  he 
had  ability  to  make  any  pecuniary  compensation  or  not ; 
whether  his  disease  was  mild  or  malignant,  —  at  first  sum- 
mons, by  night  or  by  day,  he  hastened  to  his  relief.  "  His 
profession  was  his  life,''  said  Dr.  Thaxter's  pastor.  Rev. 
Nathaniel  Hall,  in  a  tribute  to  his  memory  the  Sunday 
after  liis  death ;  "  may  it  not  have  been  kindly  ordered  — 
kindly  for  him  —  that  the  mortal  arrow  by  wliich  he  fell 
should  have  been  received  in  the  conscientious  cUscharge  of 
its  functions?  His  last  sickness  was  contracted  by  faithful 
attendance  on  the  family  of  a  poor  emigrant."^ 

In  1853  the  citizens  of  Dorchester  invited  Hon.  Edward 
Everett  to  deliver  an  oration  in  honor  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  on  July  4  of  the  following  year.  Con- 
gressional duties,  however,  made  it  necessary  for  the  invi- 
tation to  be  extended  to  July  4,  1855.  It  was  then 
determined  to  make  arrangements  to  celebrate  at  the  same 
time  the  two  hundred  and  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
settlement  of  the  town.  "  Actuated  by  motives  of  public 
good,"  wrote  the  committee  to  Mr.  Everett,  "  and  believing 
in  the  salutary  teachings  of  national  events  when  contem- 
plated with  an  inquiring  spirit  and  enlightened  judgment, 
the  undersigned,  citizens  of  Dorchester,  without  distinction 
of  party,  are  desirous  of  celebrating  the  4th  of  July,  1854, 
in  a  manner  that  shall  prove  creditable  to  that  ancient 
town,  instructive  to  the  young,  renovating  to  the  aged,  and 
morally  profitable  to  the  nation."  The  committee  further 
1  Eben.  Alden,  M.D. :  Early  Hist,  of  Med.  Profession  (1850). 


1855.]     FROM   THE   EEVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        201 

continued,  "  The  humble  but  ancient  town  of  Dorchester, 
though  once  the  chief  of  New  EngLand,  affords  but  a  slen- 
der stock  of  materials  for  the  scrutinizing  historian.  Still, 
its  annals  are  not  entirely  void  of  national  interest.  Its 
early  example  of  town  organization,  and  the  zeal  of  her 
sons  to  extend  the  domain  of  truth,  and  give  form  to  the 
colonizing  spirit  in  distant  sections  of  the  continent,  were 
characteristic  indications  of  its  first  settlers.  Its  heights 
were  made  to  frown  upon  an  invading  foe,  and  its  brave 
citizens  were  among  the  first  to  resist  the  acts  of  British 
oppression.  Its  hills  were  honored  by  a  Bowdoin,  and  its 
plains  by  a  Stoughton  and  an  Everett." 

Mr.  Everett  accepted  the  invitation,  saying  in  his  letter, 
"  I  cannot  but  feel  grateful  and  honored  by  an  invitation 
proceeding  from  so  large  a  number  of  the  most  respected 
citizens  of  the  town  where  I  was  born  and  passed  my 
childhood,  and  at  whose  schools  I  received  the  rudiments 
of  my  education." 

Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder  was  elected  president  of  the 
day,  while  the  various  committees  were  filled  by  representa- 
tive men  from  all  parts  of  the  town. 

The  day  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  favorable  of  the 
season,  the  perfect  weather  adding  in  no  small  degree  to 
the  enjoyment  and  satisfaction  of  the  occasion.  Salutes  of 
cannon  were  fii-ed  at  sunrise,  noon,  and  sunset,  from  Mount 
Bowdoin  and  Commercial  Point,  by  the  Boston  Light 
Artillery.  Church  bells  were  rung,  and  the  good  people  of 
Dorchester  found  it  hard  to  believe  that  their  anniversary 
was  a  whit  behind  the  great  event  being  celebrated  all 
over  the  country. 

Surrounding  towns  sent  large  delegations  to  witness  the 
celebration;  and  every  house  in  Dorchester  opened  its 
hospitable  doors  to  receive  the  visitors.  The  invited 
guests  were  entertained  by  William  T.  Adams,  Esq. 
(Oliver  Optic),  at  liis  residence. 

The  procession  began  to  form  at  nine  o'clock  on  Pleas- 


202  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTER.  [1855. 

ant  Street,  under  tlie  tlirection  of  Major  Moses  S.  Cobb, 
Chief  Marshal;  while  Messrs.  C.  C.  Holbrook,  Frank 
Tilestou,  George  F.  Pierce,  Thomas  W.  Tuttle,  C.  M. 
Thompson,  and  A.  W.  Spencer,  officiated  in  the  capacity 
of  aids.  The  formation  of  the  procession  is  best  shown 
by  the  order  of  arrangement: — 

Cavalcade. 

Independent  Company  of  Cadets. 

Committee  of  Arrangements. 

Vice  Presidents. 

The  President  of  the  Day  and  the  Orator. 

The  Reader  of  the  Declar.ation  of  Independence  and  the  Chaplain. 

His  Excellency  the  Governor  and  Staff. 

United  States  Senators  and  Representatives. 

Lieutenant  Governor  and  Executive  Council. 

Officers  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature. 

President  and  Ex-Presidents  of  Harvard  LTniversity. 

Judges  of  the  Courts  in  the  State. 

Officers  of  the  War  of  1812. 

United  States  Officers,  Civil  and  ISIilitary. 

Descendants  of  Dorchester  resident  elsewhere. 

Clergy  and  distinguished  Guests. 

Boat  on  Wheels,  the  "  Everett  Barge." 

Fire  Department. 

Order  of  United  Americans. 

Dorchester  Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society. 

Town  Officers  of  Dorchester. 

School  Committee. 

Representatives  to  the  tieneral  Court. 

Subscribers  to  the  Dinner. 

Citizens. 

A  little  after  eleven  the  procession  moved,  being  joined 
by  Mr.  Everett  at  the  house  in  wliich  he  was  born,  at  the 
corner  of  Pond  and  Boston  streets.  An  idea  of  the  occa- 
sion may  be  gained  from  tlie  following  quotation :  — 

"As  the  procession  passed  through  Belle vue  Street,  the 
scene  was  beautiful  beyond  description.  The  public  schools 
had  been  formed  in  a  line  on  either  side  of  the  street,  with 


1855.]      FKOM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        203 

distiuctive  aud  appropriate  banuers.  The  boys  were  dressed 
in  wliite  pants  aud  dark  jackets,  aud  the  girls  iu  white,  their 
hats  and  bonnets  being  tastefully  trimmed  with  wreaths  and 
flowers.  The  various  schools  were  distinguished  by  gay 
rosettes  and  sashes  of  different  colors,  and  the  children  carried 
beautiful  bouquets  of  flowers,  which  were  scattered  with  liberal 
profuseness ;  the  orator,  president  of  the  day,  the  chief  mar- 
shal, and  distinguished  friends  from  abroad  being  the  happy 
recipients.  Never  was  there  a  more  pleasing  sight.  The 
animated  and  intelligent  faces  of  these  children,  their  large 
numbers,  stretching  a  considerable  distance  along  the  way, 
made  a  beautiful  show,  and  they  seemed  indeed  the  jewels  of 
Dorchester.  They  greeted  the  distinguished  orator  and  invited 
guests  with  the  most  enthusiastic  cheers." 

After  the  procession  passed,  the  children  fell  in  behind 
in  the  order  of  their  schools.  The  route  along  which  it 
passed  was  beautifully  decorated,  appropriate  inscriptions 
being  suspended  from  the  windows  of  the  princii^al  resi- 
dences. At  the  entrance  to  the  tent,  where  the  oration 
was  delivered,  an  arch  was  stretched  across  bearing  the 
inscription,  — 

"Dorchester  Settled  in  1630;" 

and  on  the  pillars  were  written  the  names  of  the  earliest 
settlers.     On  the  reverse  was  the  motto,  — 

Dorchester  and  her  Children. 


Milton. 

Sharon. 

Foxboro. 

Canton. 

Stoughton. 
South  Boston. 

Wrentham 

Under  the  enormous  tent,  referred  to  above,  no  less 
than  five  thousand  ladies  and  gentlemen  sat  down  to 
lunch,  after  which  occurred  the  exercises  of  the  day. 

The  exercises  of  the  Festival  were  opened  with  a  prayer 
by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall  of  Dorchester.  An  original 
hymn,  composed  by  Rev.  S.  G.  Bulfinch  of  Dorchester, 
was  sung,  and  Mr.  .John  B.  Tileston  read  the  Declaration 


204  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1855. 

of  Inde2)endence.  Hon.  Edward  Everett  was  then  intro- 
duced as  the  orator  of  the  day  by  President  Marshall  P. 
Wilder.  The  following  selections  from  the  oration  have 
a  permanent  place  in  the  history  of  Dorchester :  — 

"Some  fifty-six  or  fifty-seven  years  have  passed,  since  as  a 
school-boy  I  climbed,  summer  and  winter,  what  then  seemed 
to  me  the  steep  acclivity  of  Meeting-House  Hill.  The  old 
schoolhouse  (it  was  then  the  new  schoolhouse,  but  I  recol- 
lect that  which  preceded  it)  has  disappeared.  The  ancient 
church  in  which  I  was  baptized  is  no  longer  standing.  The 
venerable  pastor  (Rev.  Dr.  Harris),  whose  affectionate  smile 
still  lives  in  the  memory  of  so  many  who  listen  to  me,  has 
ceased  from  his  labors.  The  entu-e  generation,  to  whom  I 
looked  up  as  to  aged  or  even  grown  men,  are  departed. 

"There  are  few  places  within  my  knowledge  which  within 
fifty  years  have  undergone  greater  changes  than  Dorchester. 
The  population  in  1800  was  2,347;  in  18.50,  it  was  a  little 
short  of  eight  thousand.  What  was  then  called  '  the  Neck,' 
the  most  secluded  portion  of  the  old  town,  although  the  part 
which  led  to  its  being  first  pitched  upon  as  a  place  of  settle- 
ment, was  in  1804  annexed  to  Boston;  and,  being  united  with 
the  city  by  two  bridges,  has  long  since  exchanged  the  rethe- 
ment  of  a  village  for  the  life  and  movement  of  the  metropolis. 
The  pickaxe  is  making  sad  ravages  upon  one  of  the  venerable 
heights  of  Dorchester;  the  entrenchments  of  the  other,  no 
longer  masking  the  deadly  enginery  of  war,  are  filled  with  the 
refreshing  waters  of  Cochituate  Lake.  New  roads  have  been 
opened  in  every  part  of  our  ancient  town,  and  two  railways 
traverse  it  from  north  to  south.  The  ancient  houses,  built 
before  the  Eevolution,  have  not  all  disappeared ;  but  they  are 
almost  lost  in  the  multitude  of  modern  dwellings.  A  half- 
century  ago  there  was  but  one  church  in  the  town,  that  which 
stood  on  yonder  hill ;  and  the  schoolhouse  which  stood  by  its 
side  was,  till  1802,  the  only  one  dignified  by  the  name  of  a 
Town  School.  You  have  now  ten  churches  and  seven  school- 
houses  of  the  first  class ;  and  all  the  establishments  of  an 
eminently  prosperous  town,  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  a  great 
commercial  metropolis,  have  multiplied  in  equal  proportions. 


1855.]      FROM   THE   KEVOLUTION   TO   THE    REBELLION.        207 

"  But  all  is  not  changed.  The  great  natural  featui'es  of  the 
scene,  and  nowhere  are  they  more  attractive,  are  of  course 
unaltered,  —  the  same  fine  sweep  of  the  shore  with  its  project- 
ing headlands,  the  same  extensive  plain  at  the  north  part  of 
the  town,  the  same  gentle  undulations  and  gradual  ascent  to 
the  south,  the  same  beautiful  elevations.  I  caught,  a  few  days 
ago,  from  the  top  of  Jones's  Hill  the  same  noble  prospect  (and 
I  know  not  a  finer  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts)  which  used 
to  attract  my  boyish  gaze  more  than  fifty  years  ago." 

Rufus  Choate  paid  the  following  tribute  to  the  orator  of 
the  day  through  the  columns  of  the  "Boston  Courier"  :  — 

"  The  newspapers  will  have,  before  this  time,  placed  Mr. 
Everett's  admirable  discourse  in  the  hands  of  the  whole  public ; 
but  one  of  his  audience  may  still  be  permitted  to  speak  of  the 
impression  it  made  on  him  in  the  actual  delivery.  It  is  little 
to  say  that  it  had  brilliant  success.  Certainly  it  had.  Some 
five  or  six  thousand  persons,  —  but,  however,  a  vast  multitude, 
—  ladies  and  gentlemen,  children  in  green  chaplets,  from 
school,  and  old  age  with  his  staff  shaking  in  both  his  hands, 
of  all  varieties  of  culture  and  of  opinion,  bj'  silence,  by  tears, 
by  laughter,  by  hearty  and  frequent  applause,  for  more  than 
two  hours  of  not  very  comfortable  weather,  confessed  the  spell 
of  the  spoken  eloquence  of  written  thoughts  and  thoughts  not 
written ;  and  when  he  ended,  sat  still  fixed  to  hear,  as  if  the 
spell  would  not  be  broken." 

Mr.  Everett's  oration  occupied  two  hours  and  twenty 
minutes,  during  which  time  the  orator  did  not  have  a 
single  occasion  to  refer  to  his  notes. 

After  the  oration,  the  following  original  ode  was  sung, 
written  by  Rev.  N.  L.  Frothingham,  D.  D.,  of  Boston :  — 

ODE. 

Olil  Dorchester  has  fame  to  wear, 

Won  from  the  days  of  Faith  and  Strife,  — 

The  faith  that  winged  the  Pilgrim's  prayer, 
The  war  that  breathed  a  Nation's  Ufe. 


208  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1865. 

In  front  she  stood  when  first  arose 
The  church  upon  the  red  man's  shore ; 

In  front  —  to  meet  the  shock  of  foes, 
When  opened  Freedom's  cannon  roar. 

Her  heights  have  felt  the  foot  and  eye 

Of  him  who  led  our  victories  on  •" 
Her  plains  run  seaward,  as  to  vie 

With  some  yet  future  Marathon. 
Old  Dorchester  is  glad  to-day  ; 

Her  sacred  bells  ring  feast  and  mirth ; 
Her  gunner's  trains  and  war  array 

But  shoot  their  joy  to  sky  and  earth. 

Old  Dorchester  is  proud  to-day ! 

Through  her  own  lips  its  trump  is  blown ; 
And  he  who  speaks  what  she  would  say, 

Bv  two-fold  title  is  her  own. 


O  God  of  Faith  and  Armies  !  now 
Make  pure  our  thanks,  lift  high  our  vow  ; 
Thy  Spirit  be  thy  people's  might, 
And  valor  guard  their  free  birth-right. 

Another  ode,  written  by  Miss  Anne  S.  Tileston,  of  Dor- 
chester, was  also  read ;  and  the  exercises  came  to  an  end 
by  the  Rev.  James  H.  Means  of  Dorchester  offering  prayer 
and  pronouncing  the  benediction.  The  procession  then 
reformed,  and  marched  to  a  pavilion  on  Meeting-House 
Hill,  where  seats  were  provided  for  nearly  two  thousand 
guests,  at  bountifully  loaded  tables. 

The  postprandial  exercises  were  of  a  most  interesting 
character,  the  speakers  being  President  of  the  Day  Wilder, 
Gov.  Henry  J.  Gardner,  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  Rev. 
Edward  Everett  Hale,  Rev.  James  Walker,  D.  D.,  presi- 
dent of  Harvard  University,  Col.  Enoch  Train,  Hon. 
Charles  Francis  Adams,  Dr.  Barnas  Sears,  Col.  Thomas 
Aspinwall,  Rev.  Lyman  Whiting,  Hon.  Peter  Cooper, 
Ebenezer  Clapp,  Jr.,  Esq.,  Hon.  Edward  L.  Pierce,  Col. 
Thomas  C.  Amory,  and  Major  Moses  G.  Cobb. 

The  festivities  of  the  celebration  were  closed  by  a  mag- 


1855.]     FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        209 

nificeiit  display  of  firevvorks  in  the  evening  on  Mount 
Bowdoin,  and  by  a  levee  at  the  house  of  Governor  Garcbier. 
The  letters  received  from  distinguished  individuals,  who 
were  luiable  to  be  present  at  the  anniversary,  show  the 
position  which  Good  Old  Dorchester  has  ever  held.  Selec- 
tions from  these  letters  are  of  great  interest,  as  supplemen- 
tary to  the  gratif3'ing  expressions  made  by  the  speakers  at 
the  Festival.     The  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthi-op  said:  — 

"I  cannot  altogether  forget  that  I  have  some  claim  to  be 
among  you,  apart  from  the  complimentary  invitation  with 
which  I  have  been  honored.  In  yom-  good  old  town  have 
lived,  in  years  past,  not  a  few  of  those  with  whom  I  have 
been  connected  by  the  nearest  ties,  both  of  affection  and  of 
blood.  The  vote  of  Dorchester  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States  —  the  most  important 
vote  she  was  ever  caUed  upon  to  cast  —  was  given  by  the 
hand  of  my  near  maternal  relative,  James  Bowdoin,  whose 
name  has  been  fitly  assigned  to  one  of  the  beautiful  hills 
within  yom-  borders.  Not  a  few  of  the  pleasantest  hours  of 
my  boyhood  were  passed  upon  that  hill ;  and,  certainly,  there 
is  no  prospect  which  I  have  ever  seen  since,  either  at  home  or 
abroad,  which  has  left  a  more  vivid  impression  on  my  mind 
for  variety  and  beauty  than  that  of  my  native  city,  with  its 
charming  environs  and  lovely  harbor,  as  viewed  from  the  old 
summer  house  which  has  but  recently  disappeared  from  Mount 
Bowdoin." 

Hon.  Da^-id  Sears  :  — 

"  Boston  can  never  forget  the  day  Tvhen  her  citizens  looked 
with  an  anxious  eye  to  the  heights  of  Dorchester  for  relief ;  nor 
can  she  cease  to  remember  that  by  the  gallant  an-ay  of  freemen 
assembled  there  for  action  on  the  night  of  the  4th  of  March, 
1776,  she  was  saved  from  disgrace,  and  enabled  to  resume  that 
high  position  which  it  has  ever  since  been  her  endeavor  to 
maintain.  The  influence  of  Dorchester  extends  far  beyond  her 
limits.  Her  children  are  well-known  and  esteemed,  and  every- 
where show  evidence  of  the  soundness  of  their  principles,  and 
the  excellence  of  their  education." 


210  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1855. 

The  Rev.  W.  A.  Stearns,  D.  D.,  of  Anilierst  College : 

"The  town  of  Dorchester  has  always  been  vividly  asso- 
ciated in  my  mind  with  the  noble  struggles  and  triumphs  of 
our  fathers  for  liberty.  '  Dorchester  Heights '  is  among  the 
magic  words  which  quicken  the  blood  of  every  American 
when  he  reads  the  history  of  his  native  land." 

Judge  Charles  A.  Dewey :  — 

"  I  am  happy  to  be  remembered  by  you  as  one  of  the 
descendants  of  the  ancient  town  of  Dorchester,  that  having 
been  the  residence  of  Thomas  Dewey,  my  first  ancestor  from 
England,  at  the  early  period  of  1634,  and  from  whom  I  am  the 
fifth  generation  in  descent.  I  shall  ever  delight  to  recognize 
my  relation  to  old  Dorchester,  honored  as  she  is  by  being 
probably  the  earliest  place  in  Massachusetts  entered  upon  by 
civilized  men,  rich  as  she  is  in  her  incidents  and  memorials 
appertaining  to  the  days  of  our  revolutionary  struggles, 
and  blessed  with  a  present  generation  who  know  how  to  appre- 
ciate the  blessings  of  civil  and  religious  liberty." 

Mayor  J.  V.  C.  Smith,  of  Boston  :  — 

"  From  the  intimate  relationship  existing  between  Dor- 
chester and  Boston,  —  their  historical  associations,  their  united 
efforts  in  the  first  settlement  of  New  England  and  in  the  revo- 
lutionary struggle  through  which  they  passed, — there  is  no 
reason  for  supposing  that  a  friendship  thus  established  will 
ever  decline,  while  business  intercourse  and  the  refinements  of 
social  life  are  the  accompaniments  of  Christian  civilization." 

In  reply  to  a  communication  addressed  to  the  Midway 
Society,  in  Georgia,  by  the  committee,  an  interesting  letter 
was  received,  which  is  quoted  here  in  part :  — 

RicEBORO,  Liberty  Co.,  Ga.,  June  4,  1855. 

Gentlemen,  — Your  letter  dated  Dorchester,  Mass.,  May  11, 
1855,  has  been  received  by  the  Midway  Society.  You  mention 
that  in  the  year  1695,  Oct.  22,  "a  church  was  fonned  in  this 
town,  which  went  to  South  Carolina  and  settled  in  a  place 
which    they   called    '  Dorchester,'    and    subsequently   they  re- 


1855.]     FROM   THE   REVOLUTION   TO   THE   REBELLION.        211 

moved  to  Midway  in  Georgia  ;  "  and  you  also  inquii'e  ''  wtietlier 
any  of  tlie  descendants  of  those  ivlio  went  off  from  this  town 
are  now  living."  In  reply,  we  would  state  that  your  com- 
munication was  received  with  much  pleasure.  It  recalled  to 
our  minds  the  ties  of  consanguinity,  and  those  traditional  asso- 
ciations which  have  ever  endeared  in  our  memories  the  home 
of  our  ancestors.  We  are  happy  to  inform  you  that,  accord- 
ing to  our  records,  the  church  organized  in  Dorchester,  Mass., 
in  the  year  1695,  A.D.,  of  which  the  Rev.  Joseph  Lord  was 
pastor,  settled  in  Dorchester  and  Beach  Hill,  S.  C,  dui'ing  the 
same  year,  and  continued  there  until  the  year  1752, — a  period 
of  fifty-seven  years,  when  the  society,  being  in  want  of  lands 
for  the  settlement  of  their  children,  began  to  remove  to  Mid- 
way, in  Georgia,  and  located  there  upon  the  6th  of  December, 
1752,  where  most  of  their  descendants  remain  until  the  present 
time.  About  one  half  of  the  present  population  of  Liberty 
County  are  related  to  these  settlers.  Others  have  followed  the 
westward  tide  of  emigration.  During  the  infancy  of  the 
church  at  Midway,  our  society  was  much  afflicted  with  disease, 
annoyed  by  the  predatory  incursions  of  Indians,  and  racked  by 
the  rapacious  British  during  our  struggle  for  independence. 
During  the  continuance  of  the  war  our  society  was  much 
scattered,  but  with  the  news  of  peace  a  brighter  day  dawned. 
Our  church  and  society  was  then  settled  upon  a  sure  and  solid 
basis,  and,  we  hope,  has  proved  a  blessing  to  very  many  of  our 
race.     .     .     . 

We  feared  that  some  changes  of  time  had  obliterated  us 
from  the  memory  of  our  Northern  relatives  and  friends ;  but 
now  that  you  have  sought  us  out,  to  renew  our  acquaintance, 
your  kindness  will  render  you  doubly  dear  to  us.  ...  We 
are  pleased  to  infer,  from  your  invitation  to  unite  with  you  in 
the  celebration  of  the  ensuing  4th  of  July,  that  a  sentiment  of 
nationality  still  persuades  our  ancestral  town. 

In  your  letter  you  say,  "  We  give  you  our  fraternal  greeting, 
and  through  you,  yoirr  Society,  wishing  you  peace,  prosperity, 
and  every  Christian  grace."  Most  willingly  do  we  accept  these 
proffers  of  love  and  friendship,  and  tender  you  our  reciprocity 
of  sentiment.  The  names  of  Dorchester  and  Plymouth  are  dear 
I'.' 


212  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1855. 

to  US.  The  Puritaus  of  New  England  have  impressed  their 
character  upon  America.  Our  ancestors  at  Midway,  bringing 
with  them  a  love  of  religion,  liberty,  and  law,  were  the  first  in 
Georgia  to  declare  in  favor  of  Independence,  and  the  name  of 
Liberty  County  has  been  given  to  our  former  parish  in  testi- 
mony of  the  fact.  The  descendants  of  the  original  settlers 
of  Midway  have  spread  themselves  over  Georgia,  and  the  South- 
ern States,  as  the  pioneers  of  religion,  education,  and  jurispru- 
dence. Our  society  at  present  occupies  a  commanding  position 
upon  the  seaboard  of  Georgia.  Considerable  progress  has 
been  made  in  civil  and  religious  development,  agricultural 
Bcience,  wealth,  and  population.  We  beg  leave  to  refer  you, 
for  further  particulars,  to  White's  "  Historical  Collections  of 
Georgia, "  as  containing  a  full  and  authentic  statement  of  our 
society,  whicli  might  interest  some  of  our  Northern  friends. 
We  will  mention  also  that  within  about  seven  miles  of  Mid- 
way Church,  we  have  a  near  village,  called  "Dorchester,"  in 
honor  of  our  ancestral  town,  whose  citizens  are  noted  for  their 
intelligence  and  hospitality.  Our  present  pastors  are  the  Rev. 
D.  L.  Buttolph,  of  New  York,  and  the  Rev.  John  F.  Baker, 
of  Wilkesbarre,  Pa. 

Please  accept  our  thanks  for  your  hospitable  invitation,  fra- 
ternal feelings,  and  cordial  greetings. 

May  we  be  ever  in  the  bonds  of  patriotism  and  Christian  love, 
and  be  mutually  remembered  at  a  throne  of  grace. 
Yours  most  truly, 

W.    S.    NOKMAN,  ) 

S.  M.  Vabnadoe, 

A.  Winn,  !■  Cor.   Com, 

W.  S.  Baker, 

John  B.  Barnard, j 

In  anticipation  of  the  celebration  recorded  in  the  preced- 
ing pages,  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  event  sent  a 
very  friendly  letter  to  the  mayor  of  Dorchester,  England. 
This  letter  gave  a  brief  review  of  the  history  of  the  town, 
and  requested  information  in  regard  to  the  early  history 
of   the    families    from    which   the    early  settlers   of   New 


:855.]  FROM  THE  REVOLUTION  TO  THE  REBELLION.   213 

Dorchester  had  sprung.      lu  rejjly  to  this  communication 
the  following  letter  was  received :  — 

To  the  Members  of  the  Dorchester  Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society, 
Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  U.  <S.  A. 

South  Street,  Dorchester,  Dorset, 
June  Ifi,  18i35. 

Gentlemen  and  Friends, — Your  letter,  which  as  Mayor,  it 
fell  to  my  lot  to  receive,  has  created  a  feeling  of  interest 
amongst  us,  and  we  welcome  with  great  cordiality  the  commun- 
ication from  those  whom  we  may  style  kinsfolk.  I  have  caused 
your  letter  to  be  printed,  and  have  ch'culated  it  amongst  such 
persons  especially  as  are  likely  to  assist  us  in  our  inquhies  on 
the  subject  of  it. 

I  myself,  and  I  believe  many  others,  would  gladly  pay  you  a 
visit,  but  that  we  cannot  spare  the  time  required  to  do  so.  We 
feel  that  we  cannot  furnish  you  with  an  account  of  our  town 
and  neighborhood  in  such  a  manner  as  we  would  wish,  iu  time 
for  yom-  anniversary,  but  we  hope  to  be  enabled  to  collect  a 
portfolio  for  you,  which,  if  you  wish,  we  shall  gladly  forward  to 
you.     I  have  already  a  nucleus  of  the  collection.' 

Mr.  White's  name  is  still  known  in  the  Borough,  and  there 
are  still  names  amongst  us  which  are  enumerated  by  you.  The 
town  itself  does  not  probably  exceed,  by  much,  the  limits  it  had 
when  our  common  ancestors  left  it. 

Being  surrounded  by  the  lands  of  the  Duchy  of  Cornwall, 
which  are  held  in  common,  there  has  been  a  constant  check 
upon  increasing  our  bounds.  We  are,  however,  we  tnist, 
increasing  our  station  amongst  other  towns,  and  we  hope  ere 
long  that  the  obstacle  to  om-  extension  may  be  removed.  The 
county  gaol  and  other  public  buildings  being  situated  here,  and 
the  Assizes  and  Quarter  Sessions  being  held  here,  add  to  our 
importance.  The  subm-b  of  Fordington  now  forms  a  part  of 
our  Borough.  We  have  five  churches,  and  several  chapels  for 
those  whose  doctrines  differ  from  the  Church  of  England.  Of 
these  churches,  two  are  in  Fordington  and  three  iu  Dorchester. 
The  Holy  Trinity  Church  was  rebuilt  in  1824-2.5,  the  Church  of 

'  This  portfolio  was  never  received. 


214  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1855. 

All  Saiuts  about  five  or  six  years  ago.  The  Church  of  St. 
Peter's  is  the  oldest  church  in  the  towo.  There  is  now  a  scheme 
on  foot  for  restoring  and  repairing  this  church,  and  for  giving 
greater  accommodation  to  our  poorer  brethren.  When  completed 
we  shall  give  them  upwards  of  200  f  i-ee  sittings,  and  the  build- 
ing will  then  be  a  handsome  specimen  of  architecture.  At 
present  the  committee  are  stayed  by  want  of  sufficient  funds. 

Two  important  railways,  the  London  and  South  Western 
and  the  Great  Western  approach  us,  whilst  at  eight  miles  dis- 
tance we  have  the  Port  of  Weymouth,  and  the  Island  of  Port- 
land with  the  quarries,  whereon  the  government  have  estab- 
lished convict  prisons,  and  by  convict  labor  in  great  part  they 
are  forming  a  breakwater. 

Our  design  is  to  furnish  you,  if  acceptable,  with  a  full  des- 
cription of  the  town  and  neighborhood,  accompanied  by  such 
views  as  we  may  be  able  to  procure  or  furnish  to  illustrate  our 
account.  We  do  not  think  we  can  do  this  with  justice  to  the 
subject  before  next  summer,  but  if  you  will  then  accept  it  as  a 
pledge  of  good  feeling  and  good  fellowship,  it  is  humbly  at 
your  service.  You  will  perhaps  let  me  know  how  these  matters 
should  be  sent  to  you ;  and  with  every  good  wish  for  your 
welfare,  I  remain  youi's  very  faithfully, 

Thos.  Coombs,  Mayor. 

The  celebration  of  1855  was  the  last  great  event  to  take 
place  within  the  town  limits  before  the  breaking  out  of 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  The  position  taken  by  Dor- 
chester in  previous  events  of  national  importance  leaves 
no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  reader  as  to  the  stand  of 
the  people  in  this  conflict  between  liberty  and  oppres- 
sion. The  records  of  this  period  must  be  postponed, 
however,  until  we  have  made  a  more  detailed  examination 
of  those  institutions  which  have  played  so  large  a  part 
in  giving  Dorchester  her  prominence,  —  the  Church  and 
the  School. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


DORCHESTER  CHURCHES. 


COMPARISON  of  the  religious  history 
of  the  early  settlers  of  Massachusetts 
with  their  civil  records  shows  that  the 
two  are  almost  identical.  The  Church 
was  the  corner-stone  of  the  community, 
and  in  it  all  other  interests  centred. 
We  have  seen  that  the  first  act  of  the  company  about  to 
set  sail  on  the  "  Mary  and  John  "  from  Old  Plymouth  was 
to  associate  themselves  into  church  fellowship ;  and  the 
prominent  place  given  to  religion  at  this  early  date  is  long 
manifested  in  the  lives  of  the  people. 

For  several  years  after  the  settlement  of  the  Plantation 
the  business  affairs  appear  to  have  been  largely  in  the 
hands  of  the  ministers  and  two  deacons '  of  the  Church, 
who  together  made  all  deeds  of  land.  The  Church  decreed 
it  unlawful  to  build  a  house  more  than  half  a  mile  from 
the  "  meeting-house."  It  regulated  the  style  of  di'css  ;  it 
examined  into  and  restricted  even  the  private  life  of  the 
people ;  in  short,  as  a  writer  has  said,  "  the  Chiu'ch  was 
the  government,  and  religion  was  the  law."     This  author- 

'  It  is  to  be  said  here  that  wliile  we  have  every  reason  to  suppose  tliat 
there  were  deacons  in  tlie  Dorcliester  Church,  we  have  no  evidence  to  that 
effect.  John  Moore,  John  Gaylord,  and  Wilham  Rocl^vvell  liave  been  given 
the  title  of  "  deacon  "  in  different  publications  ;  but  William  B.  Trask  (New 
Eng.  Hist.  Gen.  Reg.,  vol.  .xlvi.  p.  183)  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  tliis 
seems  to  be  based  entirely  upon  supposition. 


216  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [16J0. 

ity  wliich  the  Church  assumed  was  democratic  rather  than 
ecclesiasticaL  The  people  were  free  and  independent,  and 
they  voluntarily  placed  the  Church  in  command  because 
they  believed  that  religion  was  the  chief  concern  of  life. 

The  ministers  were  looked  upon  as  the  leaders  in  the 
daily  life  of  the  town  no  less  than  in  events  which  con- 
cerned its  spiritual  welfare.  They  were  prominent  in 
every  important  crisis  in  civil  affairs,  and  commanded 
respect  for  their  views  in  shaping  the  policy  of  the  General 
Court.^  The  people  who  had  been  jealous  of  the  rule  of 
a  landed  aristocracy  submitted  without  an  objection  to  the 
rule  of  the  minister  or  pastor,  which  was  as  "•  firm  as  that 
of  a  feudal  baron." 

The  "  meeting-house  "  was  an  institution  wliich  appealed 
strongly  to  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The  modern  name 
of  "  church "  was  not  in  popular  use.  Cotton  Mather 
expressed  the  sentiment  of  the  people  when  he  said  that 
he  "■  found  no  just  ground  in  Scripture  to  apply  such  a 
trope  as  '  church '  to  a  house  for  public  assembly."  Here 
the  people  gathered  each  week  to  listen  to  the  words  of  the 
beloved  pastor,  and  to  gain  a  spiritual  strength  from  wliich 
to  di'aw  during  the  intervening  days ;  here  the  town- 
meeting  met  and  passed  the  local  laws  and  restrictions 
which  shaped  the  growth  and  action  of  the  community. 
Thus  the  best  interests  of  the  town  were  clustered  around 
this  rude  slirine,  which  represented  not  only  the  personality 
but  the  life  of  the  people. 

The  colonists  assembled  for  the  first  service  of  the  Sab- 
bath at  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  being  called 
together  by  a  di-um,  a  horn,  or  a  conch-shell.  At  the  first 
summons  the  people  issued  from  their  houses,  we  are  told, 
"  in  decent  order,"  the  husband  and  wife  leading  the  pro- 
cession, with  the  childi'en  in  the  rear.  On  arriving  at  the 
church,  the  members  of  the  congregation  either  awaited 
the  coming  of  the  minister  outside   the   builcUng  or,  in 

1  Wintlirop,  vol.  i.  p.  178. 


1630.]  DOBCHESTEK   CHUKCHES.  217 

some  communities,  took  their  seats  within,  rising  respect- 
fully when  the  parson  entered. 

Church-going  in  the  early  clays  was  a  very  serious  affair. 
Even  in  times  of  peace,  for  many  years  after  the  settlement 
of  New  England,  the  Puritans  went  armed  to  meeting; 
but  they  were  forbidden  by  law  to  fii-e  off  their  charges  on 
that  da}'  except  at  an  "  Indian  or  a  wolf."  As  late  as 
1640  the  male  attendants  at  church  were  ordered  to  carry 
weapons  of  defence  with  them ;  and  it  was  not  till  two 
years  later  that  six  men  with  muskets,  powder,  and  shot 
were  thought  sufficient  for  protection  for  each  church.  In 
some  parts  of  the  colonies  a  portion  of  the  trained  bands 
was  detailed  to  attend  church  service ;  and  the  sentinels 
were  ordered  to  keep  "  their  matches  constantly  lighted 
for  use  in  their  match-locks."  The  soldiers  sat  on  either 
side  of  the  main  door ;  and  such  other  restrictions  were 
put  upon  the  worshippers  that  the  church  was  said  to  have 
resembled  a  garrison  rather  than  a  place  of  worship.^ 

The  services  were  quite  different  from  the  form  of  wor- 
ship now  in  vogue  in  oui*  churches.  They  began  with  a 
short,  devout  invocation,  after  which  the  congregation 
joined  in  singing.  One  of  the  deacons  of  the  Church  read 
one  line  of  the  hjrmn  at  a  time,  in  which  all  joined  with 
the  full  power  of  their  lungs.  When  the  singing  was 
ended  the  prayer  was  begun,  during  which  it  was  the 
custom  for  the  congregation  to  stand.  This  prayer  had 
much  to  do  in  determining  the  reputation  of  a  minister. 
The  people  did  not  dislike  long  preaching  and  prayers, 
and  would  have  felt  much  grieved  if  the  minister  had 
not  given  full  retiu'n  for  the  salary  paid  him.  Thus  it 
was  that  the  prayers  of  the  early  preachers  were  often 
much  longer  than  modern  sermons  ;  and  it  was  a  common 
thing  for  a  pause  to  be  made  to  allow  the  aged  and  infirm 
to  resume  their  seats  and  take  a  welcome  rest,  while  those 

1  Alice  Morse  Earle,  "  The  Sabbath  in  Puritan  New  England,"  p.  19 
etseq.  (1893). 


218  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630. 

blessed  with  souud  health  were  expected  to  remain  .stand- 
ing till  the  end. 

Miss  Earle  relates  the  following  interesting  records  of 
the  length  of  the  prayers  in  the  early  days.     She  says : 

"  Ou  a  Fast  Day  in  1696  the  Rev.  Samuel  Torrey,  of  Wey- 
mouth, prayed  two  hours  without  stopping,  and  it  is  recorded 
that  his  hearers  wished  the  prayer  had  been  longer.  In  1735  one 
minister  of  great  praying  power  visited  a  '  praying '  Indian's 
home  wherein  lay  a  sick  papoose  over  whom  a  '  pow-wow '  was 
being  held  by  a  mediciue-man  at  the  request  of  the  squaw-mother, 
who  was  still  a  heathen.  The  Christian  warrior  determined  to 
fight  the  Indian  witch-doctor  on  his  own  grounds,  and  while  the 
medicine-man  was  screaming  and  yelling  and  dancing  in  order 
to  cast  the  devil  out  of  the  child,  the  parson  began  to  pray 
with  equal  vigor  and  power  of  lungs  to  cast  out  the  devil  of  a 
medicine-man.  As  the  prayer  and  pow-wow  proceeded,  the 
neighboring  Indians  gathered  around,  and  soon  became  seri- 
ously alarmed  for  the  success  of  then-  prophet.  The  battle 
raged  for  three  hours,  when  the  pow-wow  ended,  and  the  dis- 
gusted and  exhausted  Indian  ran  out  of  the  wigwam  and 
jumped  into  the  Housatonic  River  to  cool  his  heated  blood, 
leaving  the  Puritan  minister  triumphant  in  the  belief,  and 
indeed  with  positive  proof,  that  he  could  pray  down  any  man 
or  devil." ' 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer  the  minister  began  his 
sermon.  This  varied  in  length,  but  was  seldom  as  long  as 
the  prayer.  Judge  Sewall,  however,  relates  in  his  diary 
that  he  once  addressed  a  church  in  Plymouth,  and  found 
afterwards  that  he  had  talked  for  two  hours  and  a  half, 
having  forgotten  to  turn  the  hour-glass  by  which  the 
length  of  the  services  was  regulated.  A  prayer  brought 
the  worship  to  a  close. 

Oftentimes  the  services  were  extended  beyond  that 
already  described,  as  is  shown  in  the  following  quotation 
from  Calamy's  "  Life  of  Howe."     The  author  says :  — 

1  The  Sabbath  in  Puritan  New  England,  p  82  (1893). 


1630]  DOKCHESTER   CHURCHES.  219 

"  He  told  me  it  was,  upou  those  occasions,  his  common  way 
to  begin  about  nine  in  the  morning,  with  a  prayer  for  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour,  in  which  he  begged  a  blessing  on  the  work 
of  the  day ;  and  afterwards  read  and  expounded  a  chapter  or 
psalm,  in  which  he  spent  about  three-quarters ;  then  prayed  for 
an  hour,  preached  for  another  hour,  and  prayed  for  about  half 
an  hour.  After  this  he  retired  and  took  some  little  refreshment 
for  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  or  more  (the  people  singing  all 
the  while),  and  then  came  again  into  the  pulpit  and  prayed  for 
another  hour,  and  gave  another  sermon  of  about  an  hour's 
length ;  and  so  concluded  the  service  of  the  day,  at  about  four 
of  the  clock  in  the  evening,  with  about  half  an  hour  or  more  in 
prayer." 

The  seating  of  the  congregation  was  done  with  a  certain 
deference  to  rank  and  influence.  In  a  little  enclosure 
under  the  pulpit  sat  the  elders  and  deacons  of  the  Church, 
and  in  the  first  seat  on  tlie  right  sat  the  selectmen.  In 
the  other  seats,  according  to  age  and  rank,  came  the  other 
town  officials,  and  after  them  the  farmers  and  tradesmen. 
Near  the  door  the  young  men  and  the  boys  were  seated. 
The  women  were  seated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  church 
from  the  men,  the  rank  being  observed  in  like  manner, 
the  elder  widows  being  at  the  head,  and  the  wives  of  the 
officials  and  others  in  regular  order.  On  this  side  the 
young  women  and  girls  sat  near  the  door;  and  this 
younger  portion  of  the  aucUence  in  the  rear  of  the  build- 
ing taxed  to  the  utmost  the  tithing-men,  who  sought  with 
their  long  poles  and  attached  fox-tails  to  keep  the  unruly 
suppressed  and  the  sleepy  ones  awake.  After  the  benedic- 
tion was  pronounced,  the  minister  was  the  first  to  depart, 
the  congregation  following  in  regular  order,  beginning  with 
those  in  the  first  seat. 

"  The  arrangement  attained  by  such  careful  method  and 
regulated  with  great  difficulty,"  says  Weeden,i  "  went 
beyond  the  immediate  operations   of  the   meeting-house. 

1  Economic  and  Social  History  of  New  England,  vol.  i.  p.  74  (1890). 


220  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEE.  [16:JU. 

This  '  meeting '  was  the  central  life  and  activity  of  the 
neighborhood.  The  terrors  of  judgment,  the  torments  of 
hell,  the  delights  of  heaven,  shone  forth  from  this  severe 
and  simple  altar,  arid  held  both  penitent  and  impenitent 
in  a  weird,  fascinating  thi-aldom.  In  the  intervals  of  reli- 
gious service  there  was  always  an  actual  meeting  in  the 
god-sib,  where  gossip,  social  and  political,  masculine  and 
feminine,  ecumenical  even,  illumined  the  rugged  faces  of 
our  forefathers,  lighted  the  dark  shadows  of  their  hard  life, 
and  sent  them  home  renewed,  uplifted,  and  inflamed  with 
new  social  desires  born  of  this  warm  intercourse." 

The  music  employed  in  the  early  worship  of  the  Church 
was  bad  beyond  belief;  but  it  went  through  a  complete 
evolution.  The  Puritans  had  brought  with  them  to  the 
New  World  in  1620  a  manual  of  psalmody  known  as 
"  Ainsworth's  Version  of  the  Psalms."  Tliis  was  followed 
in  1639  by  the  "  Bay  Psalm-Book,"  which  was  composed 
by  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  of  the  Dorchester  Church, 
and  Thomas  Welde  and  John  Eliot,  of  Roxbury.  This 
was  intended  to  adliere  more  closely  to  Scripture  than  the 
original,  and  contained  only  psalms.  It  was  the  first  book 
of  any  kind  printed  in  the  colonies,  and  was  in  use  for 
more  than  a  hundred  years.  A  later  edition,  printed  in 
1680,  was  somewhat  modified  by  President  Dunster,  of 
Harvard  College,  and  others.  These  books  contained  only 
versions  of  the  Hebrew  psalms,  slightly  changed  in  form 
to  adapt  them  to  singing.  A  stanza  from  the  Twenty- 
Third  Psalm  will  illustrate  the  method :  — 

"  1  The  Lord  to  me  a  Shepherd  is, 
Want  therefore  shall  not  I ; 
2  He  in  the  folds  of  tender  grass 
Doth  cause  me  down  to  lie." 

The  "  Bay  Psalm-Book  "  could  hardly  be  called  an  im- 
provement on  its  predecessor.  The  latter  undoubtedly  had 
many  imperfections ;  but  those  who  undertook  to  translate 
the  original  Hebrew  into  English  verse  were  better  trans- 


1630]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  221 

lators  than  poets.  The  following  selection,  which  will 
be  recognized  as  part  of  the  One  Hunched  and  Seventh 
Psalm,  will  illustrate  the  point :  — 

"So  let  the  Lord's  redeem'd  say;  whom 
hee  freed  from  th'  enemies  hands  : 
and  gathered  them  from  East  &  West, 
from  South  &  Xortherne  lands. 

"  I'th  desart  in  a  desart  way 

they  wandered :  no  towne  finde, 

to  dwell  in.     Hungry  and  thirsty : 

their  souls  within  them  pined." 

The  preface  to  the  edition  published  in  1680  said  that 
the  poems  were  translated  with  "  special  eye  both  to  the 
gravity  of  the  phrase  of  Sacred  Writ,  and  the  sweetness  of 
the  verse." 

Questions  arose  in  the  churches  also  as  to  the  methodi* 
of  singing.  "Some  believed,"  says  Mr.  George  Hood,' 
"  that  Christians  should  not  sing  at  all,  but  only  praise 
God  with  the  heart."  Others  believed  it  right  to  sing,  but 
considered  it  sinful  to  sing  the  psalms  of  David.  Some 
believed  it  wrong  for  any  but  Clmstians  to  sing;  and 
others  thought  one  only  should  sing,  while  the  assembly 
should  join  in  silence,  and  respond  "  Amen."  The  people 
rarely  had  psalm-books.  The  clerk  or  a  deacon  read  the 
psalm  one  line  at  a  time,  and  when  the  congregation  had 
sung  that  line,  the  second  one  was  read.  Dr.  Isaac  Watts 
was  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  reformation  which,  after 
much  discussion  and  opposition,  resulted  in  the  aliandon- 
ment  of  this  "  lining-out."  It  was  not  finally  discarded, 
however,  without  serious  church  quarrels.  Instances  are 
narrated  in  which  the  conservative  clerk  or  deacon  insisted, 
in  spite  of  the  vote  of  the  Church,  in  lining  out  the  hjmin 
according  to  the  old  way,  and  ceased  only  when  liis  voice 
was  drowned  out  by  the  choir,  who  refused  to  wait  for  the 
reading  of  the  second  line. 

1  History  of  Music  in  New  England. 


222  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630. 

For  many  years  tlie  singing  was  done  wholly  by  rote. 
Certain  tunes  became  traditions  in  the  churches,  and  were 
handed  down  from  generation  to  generation ;  and  it  was 
not  until  the  introduction  of  choirs  had  begun  to  take  the 
place  of  the  practice  of  lining-out,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  that  there  was  much  demand  for  tune- 
books.  "  With  the  choir  came  the  singing-school,  which 
in  the  New  England  village  became  the  standard  evening 
recreation,  and  with  the  singing-school  a  constantly  widen- 
ing circle  of  men  and  women  who  could  sing  more  or  less 
accurately  and  effectively  from  note." 

The  church  orchestra  retained  a  strong  hold  on  the 
people,  but  organs  were  used  in  Boston  as  early  as  1711. 
The  Second  Parish  in  Dorchester  had  one  soon  after  its 
incorporation ;  but  the  First  Parish  refused  to  accept  the 
innovation  until  1841. 

In  the  early  colonial  days  the  churches  had  no  stoves ; 
and  the  pious  worsliippers  were  compelled  to  sit  through 
these  long  services  with  nothing  more  comfortable  than 
footr-warmers,  which  were  brought  from  home.  In  the 
First  Parish,  these  foot^warmers  were  given  into  the 
charge  of  "  Uncle  Daniel "  Davenport,  the  sexton.  It  was 
a  familiar  sight  for  many  years  to  see  Uncle  Daniel  and 
his  son  enter  the  church  on  Sunday  mornings,  and  dis- 
tribute the  foot^warmers  in  the  various  pews.  Judge 
Sewall  records  in  his  diarj'  instances  when  the  congrega- 
tion must  have  suffered  greatly  from  the  frigid  atmosphere. 
"The  communion  bread  was  frozen  pretty  hard,"  he  says, 
"  and  rattled  sadly  into  the  plates."  Again  he  writes : 
"  Extraordinary  cold  storm  of  wind  and  snow.  Bread 
frozen  at  the  Lord's  table,  yet  was  very  comfortable  at 
meeting."  He  refers  to  an  exceedingly  cold  Sunday,  when 
there  was  "  great  coughing  "  in  meeting,  in  spite  of  which 
a  new-born  baby  was  brought  into  the  icy  church  to  be 
baptized,  —  it  being  the  custom  to  carry  the  children  to  the 
meeting-house  for  baptism  the  first  Sunday  after  they  were 


1631.]  DOKCHESTER   CHURCHES.  223 

born.  He  also  alludes  to  the  baptism  of  his  own  fourteen 
childi'en,  not  one  of  whom  cried  out,  even  in  the  coldest 
weather,  being  "  true  examples  of  pure  Puritan  fortitude." 
Stoves  were  not  introduced  into  Dorchester  churches 
until  about  1820,  and  the  innovation  met  with  a  strong 
opposition  from  many.  In  the  First  Church,  William 
Bird  was,  perhaps,  the  strongest  opponent  of  the  innova- 
tion. "  In  the  old  meeting-house,"  he  said,  "  snow  used 
to  come  up  to  my  pew,  and  I  never  had  any  trouble.  It 's 
all  nonsense  to  put  in  stoves."  Captain  John  Codman 
relates  the  following  humorous  account  of  the  controversy 
on  this  subject  which  occurred  in  the  Second  Church. 
He  says :  — 

"  At  last  the  stove  party  was  victorious.  Old  '  Uncle  Ned 
Foster'  was  foremost  in  the  opposition.  He  threatened  to  sign 
off,  but  flually  he  concluded  to  remain  loyal,  aud  sit  it  out ;  so 
on  the  first  Sunday  after  the  stoves  had  been  introduced,  the 
old  gentleman  occupied  his  pew  as  usual,  the  stove-pipe  being 
dii-ectly  over  him.  There  he  sat  with  no  very  saint-like  expres- 
sion throughout  the  sermon,  a  red  bandanna  handkerchief 
spread  over  his  head,  and  his  face  corresponding  to  it  in  color. 
A  general  smile  circulated  through  the  house,  the  minister  him- 
self catching  the  infection ;  for  almost  everybody  excepting 
Uncle  Ned  was  aware  that,  the  day  being  rather  warm,  no  fires 
had  been  lighted." 

The  church  customs  of  Dorchester  did  not  differ  greatly 
from  the  customs  of  early  New  England  as  sketched  in  the 
preceding  pages.  After  this  cursory  glance  we  are  read}'- 
to  turn  our  attention  to  the  events  which  are  concerned 
with  the  religious  life  of  the  town. 

The  first  meeting-house  was  built  in  1631,  and  was 
situated  near  the  corner  of  Pleasant  and  East  Cottage 
streets,  on  Allen's  Plain,  at  the  north  end  of  the  town. 
It  was  a  low  bmlding,  consisting  of  one  story  about  twelve 
feet  in  height,  and  was  constructed  of  logs  and  thatch. 
Palisadoes   surrounded   it,  and   military  stores   were   de- 


224  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1634. 

posited  in  it.  Giuis  were  mounted  on  the  roof,  and  a 
sentinel  kept  on  guard,  so  that  it  served  as  a  pUxce  of 
refuge  and  defence  against  the  Indians.  The  first  day  of 
the  week  tlie  Colony  held  its  meetings  as  a  Chui'ch,  and 
the  second  day  of  the  week  as  a  Town.  The  inhabitants 
conveyed  tliither  their  plate  and  most  valuable  articles 
every  evening  to  be  preserved  in  safety. 

The  use  of  the  meeting-house  as  an  arsenal  came  very 
near  causing  its  destruction,  as  on  one  occasion,  when  Mr. 
Maverick,  the  veneiated  minister,  was  tb-ying  powder 
there,  he  set  oiT  a  keg  near  by,  singed  his  clothes,  and 
destroyed  the  thatch  with  which  the  roof  was  covered. 
For  the  first  year  of  its  existence  this  meeting-house  was 
used  by  the  inhabitants  of  Roxbury  as  well  as  Dorchester, 
as  the  former  were  at  this  time  without  a  place  of  worship. 
On  Novembers,  1634,  an  order  was  passed  "to  build  stairs 
on  the  outside,  and  the  loft  to  be  laid,  and  a  window  in 
the  loft." 

When  the  Dorchester  emigrants  associated  in  church 
fellowship  at  Plymouth,  before  setting  sail  for  America, 
they  chose,  as  we  have  seen  in  an  earlier  chapter,  the 
Rev.  John  Maverick  and  the  Rev.  John  Warham  to  be 
their  ministers.  Mr.  Maverick,  Winthrop  tells  us,  was  "  a 
man  of  a  very  humble  spirit,  faithful  in  furthering  the 
work  of  the  Lord  here,  both  in  tlie  Church  and  in  the  civil 
State."  Mr.  Warham  is  said  to  have  been  the  minister 
who  introduced  into  England  the  practice  of  preaching 
with  notes.  Both  these  ministers  were  active  in  helping 
to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  town.  Their  labors  were  not 
confined  altogether  to  spiritual  teaching,  but  they  made 
strenuous  effoi-ts  to  strengthen  the  beginnings  of  the  infant 
colony.  The  name  of  Mr.  Maverick  has  been  more  closely 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  town  than  that  of  Mr. 
Warham,  as  the  latter  left  Dorchester  in  1635  with  that 
part  of  the  Church  which  went  to  Windsor,^  Connecticut, 
1  Ante,  p.  36. 


1635.]  DOKCHESTER   CHURCHES.  227 

remaining  there  as  its  pastor  for  thirty-four  years.  We 
can  learn  but  little  of  him  except  that  he  was  a  pious  man, 
that  he  preached  with  notes,  and  that,  while  he  adminis- 
tered the  Lord's  Supper  to  others,  for  many  years  from 
religious  scruples  he  declined  to  partake  himself.^  He 
died  at  Windsor,  April  1,  1670.^ 

The  migration  to  Connecticut  has  caused  the  question 
to  be  raised  as  to  whether  the  Church  in  Dorchester,  or  the 
First  Church  in  Windsor,  Conn.,  is  the  proper  heir  to  the 
Church  gathered  in  Old  Plymouth.  As  both  churches  were 
essentially  derived  from  the  same  historical  root,  both  seem 
to  have  the  right  to  claim  the  distinction.  The  questions 
which  must  be  decided  are,  whether  the  Windsor  move- 
ment was  an  official  act  as  a  church  organization,  what 
proportion  of  the  church  membership  went,  and  what  is 
meant  by  a  "  new  church  "  in  Dorchester. 

These  three  questions  are  discussed  at  length  in  the 
Introduction  to  the  "  Records  of  the  First  Church ;  "  ^  and 
the  following  conclusions  are  deduced  from  the  examination 
of  the  subject :  — 

"1.  That  the  whole  church  membership  did  not  go  to  Wind- 
sor, but  only  a  part  of  it.  This  is  supported  by  the  testimony 
of  Winthrop,  Blake,  Hubbard,  and  a  careful  study  of  early 
records  as  to  the  number  of  those  who  left  and  those  who 
remained. 

"  2.  Whether  the  Windsor  party  went  as  a  church  organiza- 
tion or  simply  as  a  colony  of  fellow  church  members  is  not 
known.  Both  views  have  been  maintained :  the  decisive  evi- 
dence is  lacking.  The  editor  of  the  Boston  Recorder  truly  says  : 
'  The  difficulty  about  all  the  documents  relating  to  this  subject 
is  that  the  writers  seem  to  have  treated  the  question  as  to  the 
presei'vation  of  the  original  organization  as  a  matter  of  little 
consequence,  while  they  state  the  fact  of  the  removal,  and  so 
use  expressions  which  may  be  construed  either  way.' 

'  Cotton  Mather's  "  Mafjnalia,"  p.  120. 
*  New  England's  Memorial,  p.  115. 

^  Records  of  the  First  Church  at  Dorchester.  Boston,  Mass. :  George  H. 
EHis  (1890). 


228  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEE.  [1636. 

"3.  The  new  cliiirch  in  Dorchester  was  an  amalgamatiou  of 
old  and  new  elements,  partly  due  to  the  departure  of  early 
members,  and  partly  to  the  arrival  of  new  material.  The  prob- 
ability is  that  the  Church  was  much  broken  up  by  the  ebb  and 
flow  of  emigration.  This  transition  period  was  so  serious  that 
reorganization  was  desirable. 

"  4.  The  question  of  continuity  does  not  affect  the  continuity 
of  the  parish.  According  to  Massachusetts  law,*  the  First 
Church  and  Parish  of  Dorchester  has  a  clear  title  for  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years. 

"  5.  The  historic  connection  of  the  Dorchester  Church  with 
the  Church  formed  at  Plymouth,  England,  is  direct  and  unbroken. 
It  is  maintained  by  genetic  lines  of  membership.  Some  streams 
of  blood  from  the  heart  of  the  Plymouth  (England)  Church 
still  flow  in  the  membership  of  the  Church  at  Dorchester.  The 
present  Church  owes  its  existence  to  that  immigration ;  not 
merely  through  a  parish  continuity,  but  through  a  continuity  of 
membership  and  Sabbath  meetings  and  Christian  life  and  work ; 
that  is  to  say,  through  its  life  as  a  church. 

"6.  The  churches  at  Dorchester  and  Windsor  are  thus  both 
heirs  of  the  same  parentage." 

The  portion  of  tlie  Church  which  remained  behind  under 
Mr.  Maverick  joined  with  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather  and 
hi.s  followers,  who  had  recently  arrived  from  England, 
making  one  churcli  with  two  pastors  at  its  head.  Tlie  two 
parties  entered  into  the  following  covenant :  — 

Dorchester,  the  23""  day  of  the  ) 
e"  moneth.     Anno.  1636.     ) 

Wee  whose  names  are  subscribed  being  called  of  God  to 
joyne  o''selves   together  in  Church  Comunion,   from  o''  hearts 

'  A  legal  decision  by  Judge  Shaw  (Stebbins  v.  Jennings,  10  Pickering, 
p.  172)  is  to  the  effect  that  departing  members  of  a  church  are  to  be 
regarded  as  seceders,  no  matter  how  many  go;  while  those  who  remain, 
however  few,  are  still  the  Church.  In  the  c.ise  of  the  First  Church,  over 
twenty  members  of  the  Church  remained  in  Dorcliester.  Hence  (according 
to  Judge  Shaw)  the  Church  never  removed,  though  many  individuals  left. 
The  early  records,  if  any  ever  existed,  are  lost. 


1636.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  229 

acknowledging  o''  owne  unworthines  of  such  a  priviledge  or  of 
the  least  of  Gods  mercyes,  &  likewise  acknowledging  o""  disa- 
bility to  keepe  coven'  w"'  God  or  to  p'fourme  any  spirituall  duty 
w"*"  hee  calleth  us  unto,  uulesse  the  Lord  Jesus  do  enable  us 
thereunto  by  his  spirit  dwelling  in  us,  Doe  in  the  name  of  Cht 
Jesus  o'  Lord  and  in  trust  and  confidence  of  his  free  grace 
assisting  us  freely  Coven'  &  bind  ourselves  solenmely  in  the 
presence  of  God  hiinselfe,  his  holy  Angells  and  all  his  sen'ants 
here  present  that  wee  will  by  his  grace  assisting  us  endevour 
constantly  to  walke  togeather  as  a  right  ordered  Congregacon 
of  Cht.  according  to  all  the  holy  rules  of  a  church-body  rightly 
established,  so  farre  as  wee  do  already  know  it  to  bee  o"'  duty 
or  shall  further  und''staud  it  out  of  Gods  holy  word  :  Promising 
first  &  above  all  to  cleave  unto  him  as  o"'  chief e  &  onley  good, 
and  to  o''  Lord  Jesus  Cht  as  o'  onely  spirituall  husband  and 
Lord,  &  o'  onely  high  priest  &  Prophet  and  King.  And  for 
the  furthering  of  us  to  keepe  this  blessed  Cofnunion  w""  God 
and  w""  his  sonne  Jesus  Cht  and  to  grow  up  more  fully  therein, 
wee  do  likewise  promise  by  his  grace  assisting  us,  to  endevour 
the  establishing  amongst  o''  selves  of  all  his  holy  ordinances 
w'^''  hee  hath  appointed  for  his  churches  here  on  earth,  and  to 
observe  all  and  every  of  them  in  such  sort  as  shall  bee  most 
agreeable  to  his  will ;  opposing  to  the  utmost  of  o''  power,  what- 
soever is  contrary  thereunto,  &  bewayling  fro  o''  hearts  o''  owne 
neglect  thereof  in  former  tyme,  and  our  polluting  o''selves 
therein  w""  any  sinfull  inventions  of  men. 

And  lastly  wee  do  hereby  Coven'  &  p'mise  to  further  to 
o'  utmost  power,  the  best  spirituall  good  of  each  other,  and  of 
all  and  every  one  that  may  become  members  of  this  Congre- 
gacon, by  mutuall  Instruction  reprehension,  exhortacon,  con- 
solacon,and  spirituall  watchfulnes  over  one  another  for  good ; 
and  to  bee  subject  in  and  for  the  Lord  to  all  the  Administracons 
and  Censures  of  the  Congregacon,  so  farre  as  the  same  shall 
bee  guided  according  to  the  iiiles  of  Gods  most  holy  word. 

Of    the   integrity   of    o''   heartes   herein  wee   call   God   the 

searcher  of  all  hearts  to  witnesse ;  beseeching  him  so  to  blesse 

us  in  this  and  all  o'  Enterprises,  as  wee  shall  sincerely  endevour 

by  the  assistance  of  his  grace  to  observe  this  holy  Coven'  and 

13 


230  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1636. 

all  the  braunches  of  it  inviolably  for  ever ;  and  where  wee  shall 
fayle  there  to  wayte  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  for  pardon  and  for 
acceptance  and  healing  for  his  names  sake. 

Richard  Mather: 
Nath  :  Duncan  : 
Gkorge  minot  : 
Henkv  withington 
Thomas  Jones 
John  Pope 
John  Kingesley.* 

Mr.  Maverick  died  during  the  same  year  that  this  cove- 
nant was  drawn  up,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  buried 
in  the  fii'st  burying-ground,  near  the  first  meeting-house. 
His  services  to  the  town  were  so  eminent  that  the  gi-ati- 
tude  and  love  of  the  first  settlers  was  almost  as  great  as 
that  felt  for  the  Rev.  John  Wliite,  the  promoter  of  the 
Colony. 

When  Mr.  Maverick  died  Mr.  Mather  was  left  at  the 
head  of  religious  affairs  in  Dorchester,  and  from  this  time 
until  his  death  he  was  a  leader  in  all  affairs  of  imj^ortance 
in  the  town.     He  was  born 

at  Lawton,  in  the  parish  of  ■^i^^/i/^  fiZoJii^t^ 
Winwick,  county  of  Lan- 
caster, England.  He  was  a  great  scholar  from  an  early  age, 
and  when  but  fifteen  years  old  he  was  master  in  a  school  at 
Toxteth  Park,  near  Liverpool.  Later,  he  entered  Brazenose 
College,  Oxford,  received  ordination,  and  preached  at 
Toxteth  for  sixteen  years,  until  suspended,  in  1633,  for 
non-conformity;  but  he  was  restored  again  through  the 
intercession  of  friends.  Under  the  severe  visitations  of 
the  Archbishop  of  York,  however,  he  was  again  suspended 
in  1634.  This  resulted  in  persuading  liim  to  remove  to 
New  England;  so,  travelling  to  Bristol  in  disguise,  he 
sailed  for  America,  and  after  a  terrible  voyage  reached 
Boston  Harbor  on  the  17th  of  August,  1635.  He  was  at 
once  recognized  as  a  man  of  rare  ability  and  scholarship, 
1  Records  of  the  First  Cliurch  at  Dorcliester,  pp.  1,  2. 


1636.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  231 

and  soon  became  a  prominent  leader  in  all  ecclesiastical 
affairs.  His  theological  works  in  print  and  manuscript 
are  numerous,  and  give  abundant  evidence  of  his  ability 
and  zeal.  He  immecUately  received  invitations  to  settle 
in  Plymouth,  Roxbury,  and  other  towns ;  but,  acting  upon 
the  advice  of  Messrs.  Cotton,  Hooker,  and  other  fiiends, 
he  accepted  the  call  to  Dorchester,  and  remained  there 
until  his  death. 

Mr.  Mather  died  April  22, 1669.  On  the  ChiU'ch  Records 
is  found  the  following  anagram :  — 

"  Third  in  New  England's  Dorchester, 
Was  this  ordained  minister, 
Second  to  none  in  fruitfuhiess, 
Abihties,  and  usefulness. 

"  Divine  his  charms,  years  seven  times  seven, 
Wise  to  win  souls  from  earth  to  heaven. 
Prophet's  reward  he  gains  above. 
But  great 's  our  loss  by  his  remove." 

An  epitaph  upon  the  Church  Records  differs  from  that 
upon  his  tombstone :  — 

"  Sacred  to  God  his  servant  Richard  Mather. 
Son.s  like  him,  good  and  great,  did  call  him  father, 
Hard  to  discern  a  difference  in  degree, 
'Twixt  his  bright  learning  and  high  piety. 
Short  time  his  sleeping  dust  lies  covered  down, 
So  can't  his  soul  or  his  deserved  renown 
From  's  birth  six  lustres  and  a  jubilee 
To  his  repose ;  but  laboured  hard  in  thee, 
O  Dorchester !  four  more  than  thirty  years. 
His  sacred  dust  with  thee  thine  honour  rears." 

"  He  was  a  man  of  an  exemplary  life  and  conversation," 
says  Neal,^  "  a  good  scholar,  and  a  plain,  solid,  practical 
preacher.  He  wrote  several  treatises,  wliich  were  well 
accepted  in  those  times,  and  was  generally  consulted  in  all 
difficulties  relating  to  church  government."  He  left  four 
sons  in  the  ministry,  —  Eleazer,  Samuel,  Nathaniel,  and 
Increase. 

1  History  of  New  England,  vol.  i.  p.  385. 


232  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEK. 


[1640. 


The  Rev.  Jonathan  Burr  was  born  at  Redgrave,  in 
Suffolk,  and  was  graduated  fi-om  Corpus  Chiisti  College 
in  1623.  He  preached  for  a  while  in  England,  but  being 
silenced  for  Iiis  non-conformity,  came  to  Dorchester  with 
his  family.  He  signed  the  church  covenant  in  1639 ;  and, 
as  it  was  the  early  custom  to  have  two  ministers,  one 
officiating  as  jDastor  and  the  other  as  "teacher,"  he  was 
called  to  assist  Mr.  Mather  as  his  colleague.  These  two 
gentlemen  differed,  however,  upon  some  points ;  and  a 
council  of  ten  ministers  and  two  magistrates  was  called  in 
February,  1640,  to  adjust  the  difficulties.  After  a  session 
of  four  days  it  was  decided  "  that  both  sides  had  cause  to 
be  humbled  for  their  failings,  for  wliich  they  were  advised 
to  set  a  day  apart  for  reconciliation."  The  Rev.  Nathaniel 
Hall,  Jr.,  in  a  sermon  jireached  before  the  First  Parish 
June  19,  1870,  paid  the  following  tribute  to  Mr.  Burr : 
"  For  a  time  associated  with  Richard  Mather  was  Jonathan 
Burr,  also  silenced  for  non-conformity,  and  bearing  witli 
him  a  repute  for  learning  and  piety.  He  died,  after  a 
ministry  of  less  than  three  years.  In  the  thirty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  Testimonies  have  reached  us  to  the  re- 
markable loveliness  of  his  character  and  the  pathetic 
eloquence  of  Ms  speech;  and  the  picture  wliich  through 
these  I  bear  of  him  has  always  cb-awn  me  to  him  as  to  no 
other  of  my  predecessors."  Soon  after  Mr.  Buit's  arrival 
in  this  country  he  was  taken  down  with  the  small-pox ; 
and  this  so  weakened  his  health  that  he  died  August  9, 
1641. 

The  Rev.  John  Wilson,  Jr.,  was  chosen  to  ffil  the 
vacancy  caused  by  Mr.  Burr's  death ;  but  he  remained 
only  two  years,  moving  away  to  accept  a  parish  in  Med- 
field,  where  he  preached  for  forty  years.  He  died  August 
23,  1691.  Mr.  William  Stoughton,  afterwards  lieutenant- 
governor  and  commander-in-chief,  preached  occasionally, 
but  he  was  never  ordained.  The  Church  tried  to  persuade 
him  to  become  pastor  when  Mr.  jMather  died,  but  he  firmly 


1645.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  233 

refused ;  and  later  events  proved  that  his  services  were 
needed  in  larger  fields. 

The  rude  first  meeting-house  had  proved  sufficient  for 
the  needs  of  the  people  for  fourteen  years ;  but  in  1645 
the  growing  wants  of  the  Plantation  demanded  better 
accommodations ;  so  it  was  decided  that  "  for  peace  and 
love's  sake  there  shall  be  a  new  meeting-house."  For 
this  an  appropriation  of  .£250  was  made.  The  church 
was  built  near  or  on  the  spot  of  the  first  meeting-house, 
at  the  northerly  end  of  Pleasant  Street ;  but  twenty-five 
years  later  the  building  was  removed  to  Meeting-House 
Hill,  standing  on  the  east  side  of  Winter  Street,  near  the 
site  of  the  later  residence  of  Dr.  Robert  Thaxter. 

Some  five  years  previous  to  the  removal  of  the  structure 
to  Meeting-House  Hill,  three  of  the  good  citizens  of  the 
town  came  very  near  getting  iuto  tlifficulty  because  of  the 
erection  of  a  new  gallery  in  the  meeting-house  without 
permission  from  the  proper  authorities.  It  seems  that  the 
selectmen  had  been  consulted  individually,  and  the  pro- 
motors  of  the  enterprise  felt  assured  of  their  support. 
When,  however,  the  addition  was  completed,  a  storm  arose 
which  threatened  serious  results.  The  selectmen  declared 
that  the  gallery  had  been  built  entirely  without  their 
sanction,  and  said  that  it  was  prejudicial  to  the  light. 
Furthermore,  those  who  were  concerned  in  its  construction 
were  forbidden  to  sit  in  it  until  the  mind  of  the  towns- 
people could  be  ascertained.  At  a  meeting  held  for  the 
settlement  of  the  affair,  it  was  decided  that  the  gallery 
might  stand ;  but  it  could  not  be  disposed  of  to  any  per- 
sons except  those  of  whom  the  town  approved.  It  was 
also  voted  that  the  offending  parties  should  acknowledge 
that  they  had  acted  with  too  much  forwardness.  This 
called  forth  the  following  document :  — 

We  whose  names  are  underwritten,  do  acknowledge  that  it 
was  our  weakness  that  we  were  so  inconsiderate  as  to  make  a 


234  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1B45. 

small  seat  in  the  meeting-bouse,  without  more  clear  and  full 
approbation  of  the  town  and  selectmen  thereof,  though  we 
thought  upon  the  conference  we  had  with  some  of  the  selectmen 
apart,  and  elders,  we  had  satisfying  ground  for  our  proceeding 
therein ;  wch  we  now  see  was  not  sufficient ;  therefore  we  desire 
that  our  failing  therein  may  be  passed  by ;  and  if  the  town  will 
grant  oiu'  seat  that  we  have  been  at  so  much  cost  in  setting  up, 
we  thankfully  acknowledge  your  love  unto  us  therein,  and  we 
do  hereupon  fm'ther  engage  ourselves  that  we  will  not  give  up 
nor  sell  any  of  our  places  in  that  seat  to  any  person  or  persons 
but  whom  the  elders  shall  a])prove  of,  or  such  as  shall  have 
power  to  place  men  in  seats  in  the  assembly. 

Increase  Atherton. 
Samuel  Proctor. 
Thomas  Bird. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Mr.  Mather's  Catechism  was 
distributed  to  each  family  in  the  town,  the  expense  being 
paid  out  of  the  town  rate. 

A  step  in  the  direction  of  liberal  church  government 
was  made  at  this  period,  when  it  was  proposed  to  receive 
members  of  the  sterner  sex  into  the  Church,  on  the  con- 
fession of  their  faith  in  writing,  or  in  private  conference ; 
the  only  condition  being  that,  when  it  was  declared  pub- 
licly at  church,  they  should  "  stand  forth  and  acknowl- 
edge it." 

The  Rev.  Josiah  Flint,  the  successor  of  the  Rev.  John 
Wilson,  Jr.,  was  born  August  24, 1645,  and  was  graduated 
from  Harvard  College  in  1664.  His  ordination  occiu-red 
December  27, 1671 ;  and  his  ministry  showed  unusual  zeal 
and  perseverance,  but  unfortunately  it  was  interrupted  by 
ill-health.  He  died  September  15,  1680,  and  the  follow- 
ing epitaph  was  placed  upon  the  monument  erected  to 
his  memory :  — 


1670.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  235 

"  Here  lies  Interred  y'  Corps  of  Mr.  Josiah  Flint,  late  Pastor  to 

y'  Church  in  Dorchester,  Aged  35  years. 

Deceased  Septr.  15th,  1680. 

A  Man  of  God  he  was  so  great,  so  good, 

His  highest  wortli  was  hardly  understood  : 

So  much  of  God  &  Christ  in  him  did  Dwell, 

In  Grace  and  Holiness  he  did  excell. 

An  Honour  &  an  ornament  thereby, 

Both  to  y"  Churches  &  the  Ministry. 

Most  zealous  in  ye  work  of  Reformation, 

To  save  this  self  destroying  Generation. 

With  Courage  Stroue  'gainst  all  this  peoples  sin ; 

He  spent  his  Strength,  his  Life,  his  Soul  therein. 

Consum'd  with  holy  zeal  of  God,  for  whom 

He  liu'd,  and  dy'd  a  kind  of  Martyrdom. 

If  men  will  not  lament,  their  Hearts  not  break, 

No  wonder  this  lamenting  Stone  doth  Speak, 

His  Tomb-stone  cries  Repent,  and  Souls  to  saue 

Doth  Preach  Repentance  from  his  very  Graue. 

'Gainst  Sinners  doth  a  lasting  Record  lye 

This  Monument  to  his  bless'd  Memory." 

It  was  during  Mr.  Flint's  ministry  that  the  new  meet^ 
ing-house  was  built  to  take  the  place  of  the  smaller  one 
which  was  moved  to  Meeting-House  Hill  in  1670.  This 
building  was  erected  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Church 
and  Winter  Streets.  It  was  square  in  shape,  and  was  two 
stories  high,  with  a  tower  in  the  centre  containing  a 
bell.  The  first  assembly  in  this  structure  was  held  No- 
vember 17,  1678. 

The  Rev.  John  Danforth  was  ordained  Jime  8,  1682. 
He  was  born  in  1652,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1677.  He  gained  the  distinction  of  serving 
the  longest  pastorate  in  the  history  of  the  Church ;  but 
during  this  period  of  forty-eight  years  nothing  of  great 
conseqirence  occurred.  He  died  May  26,  1730.  Dr. 
Thaddeus  Mason  Harris,  in  his  "  Chronological  and 
Topographical  Account  of  Dorchester"  (1804),  refers 
to  Mr.  Dauforth's  poetical  ability.     He  says :  — 


236  GOOD   OLD   DOliCHESTEK.  [1682. 

"  I  have  seen  several  elegiac  pieces  of  his  in  English  hexameter 
verse.  Those  which  possess  the  most  poetical  merit  are,  '  Two 
vast  enjoyments  commemorated  and  two  great  bereavements 
lamented,  in  two  excellent  persons,  viz.  Rev.  Peter  Thacher 
pastor  of  the  church  of  Christ  in  Milton,  who  was  born  into 
this  world  July  18,  1651,  and  ascended  to  a  better  world,  Dec. 
17,  1727,  jEt.  77,  and  in  the  47th  of  his  pastorate:  and  Rev. 
Samuel  Danforth,  pastor  of  the  church  of  Christ  in  Taunton, 
whose  nativity  was  Dec.  18,  1666,  and  his  translation  to  the 
heavenly  paradise  Nov.  14,  1727,  fifteen  days  after  the  first 
shock  of  the  great  earthquake  in  New-England.'  The  other 
poem  is  '  on  the  death  of  Mrs.  Anne  Eliot,  the  virtuous  consort 
of  Rev.  John  Eliot,  first  minister  of  Roxbury,  who  exchanged 
worlds  March  24,  1687,  in  the  84th  year  of  her  age.'  To 
which  are  added  '  verses  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  John  Eliot, 
teacher  to  the  church  of  Christ  in  Roxbury,  and  a  propagator 
of  the  Gospel  among  the  Indians  in  New-England.  Who  rested 
from  his  labours  May  20,  1690,  ^Et.  86.'  The  following 
version  of  Mr.  Eliot's  hints  respecting  the  best  methods  of 
gospelizing  the  Indians  may  sei^ve  as  a  specimen  of  the  poetry : 

'  Adilress,  I  pray,  your  senate  for  good  orders 
To  civilize  the  heathen  in  our  borders. 
Virtue  must  turn  into  necessity, 
Or  this  brave  work  will  in  its  urn  still  lie. 
'Till  agriculture  and  cohabitation 
Come  under  full  restraint  and  regulation, 
Much  you  would  do  you  '11  find  impracticable 
And  much  you  do  will  prove  unprojitable. 
In  common  lands  that  lie  unfenc'd  you  know, 
The  husbandman  in  vain  dotli  plow  and  sow; 
We  hope  in  vain  the  plant  of  grace  will  thrive 
In  forests  where  civility  can't  live.' " 

On  November  5,  1729,  a  few  months  before  the  death  of 
the  Rev.  John  Danforth,  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Bowman  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  Chnrch.  He  was  born  January 
23,  1703,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in 
1724.  He  served  acceptably  for  forty-three  years,  but  was 
dismissed  at  the  end  of  that  period  because  of  an  unfortu- 


17M.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  237 

nate  controversy  brought  on  incidentally  by  the  trespasses 
of  the  good  pastor's  hens.  It  seems  that  Mr.  Paul  Hall, 
who  suffered  from  these  trespasses,  instead  of  complaining 
to  Mr.  Bowman,  took  matters  into  his  own  hands,  and 
executed  the  cidprits  without  judge  or  jury.  When  Mr. 
Hall  later  brought  a  child  to  the  chui'ch  for  bajjtism,  Mr. 
Bowman  refused  to  perform  the  ceremony ;  and  thereupon 
the  first  trouble  between  pastor  and  jjeople  in  the 
Dorchester  Church  began.  The  direct  charges  brought 
against  Mr.  Bowman  were,  that  he  preached  too  short 
sermons,  "  frequently  not  exceeding  fifteen  to  eighteen 
minutes ;  "  that  he  too  frequently  preached  old  sermons ; 
and  that  he  cUd  not  insist  enough  on  the  doctrines  of 
original  sin,  regeneration,  and  self-denial. 

When  Mr.  Bowman,  early  in  1772,  preached  a  sermon 
from  the  text,  "  He  that  desj^iseth  you,  despiseth  me," 
making  a  personal  attack  on  certain  members  of  his 
congregation,  it  was  thought  to  be  time  to  take  decisive 
action ;  and  a  council  was  called  to  seek  a  satisfactory 
adjustment  of  the  difficulties.  The  result  was  that  Jlr. 
Bowman  was  cUsmissed. 

Just  before  the  council  convened,  the  Church  made  an 
effort  to  obtain  their  records  which  were  in  Mr.  Bowman's 
possession ;  but  the  book  containing  the  record  of  deaths 
during  his  ministry  was  all  they  could  recover.  The 
others  were  never  obtained,  —  a  serious  loss  to  the  town. 
Mr.  Bowman  tUed  March  30,  1775. 

Dorchester  was  not  the  only  town  affected  by  the  arrival 
of  the  Rev.  George  Whitefield  from  England,  but  un- 
doubtedly received  as  much  benefit  from  his  visit  as  any. 
Mr.  Whitefield  was  a  graduate  of  Oxford,  and  after  tak- 
ing orders  became  an  itinerant  minister.  His  visit  to 
America,  in  1734,  was  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  an 
orphan  house  in  Georgia ;  and  he  came  to  Massachusetts 
to  solicit  financial  aid  for  this  enterprise.     The  effect  of 


238  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1734. 

his  arrival  was  at  once  felt.  His  first  sermon  was  de- 
livered at  the  Brattle-Street  Church,  in  Boston,  before  an 
audience  of  three  thousand  peojjle.  The  whole  neighbor- 
hood around  Boston  was  at  once  excited  into  great  reli- 
gious enthusiasm,  and  the  morning  congregations  in  all 
churches  were  very  small,  except  the  one  where  Mr.. 
Whitefield  preached. 

The  places  chosen  for  delivering  the  sermons  were  very 
varied.  Sometimes  Mr.  Whitefield  preached  in  churches, 
and  sometimes  in  fields,  just  as  the  opportunity  presented 
itself.  When  he  preached  his  farewell  sermon  it  was  on 
Boston  Common,  and  over  twenty-five  thousand  persons 
are  said  to  have  been  present.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  this  is  more  than  twice  the  number  of  inhabitants 
old  Boston  claimed  in  those  days,  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
neighboring  towns  must  have  been  heavily  cb-awn  from. 
It  is  said  that  persons  living  on  Jones's  Hill,  in  Dorchester, 
heard  Mr.  Whitefield's  voice  distinctly  on  that  memorable 
day.  The  eminent  divine  undoubtedly  possessed  a  clear 
and  sonorous  voice  ;  but  the  story  seems  rather  more  tradi- 
tional than  authentic. 

Mr.  Whitefield  had  great  influence  over  his  hearers. 
Franklin  in  his  autobiography  tells  the  following  anec- 
dote in  connection  with  a  sermon  he  heard  Whitefield 
preach,  after  which  there  was  to  be  a  collection  taken 
up :  "I  had  in  my  pocket  a  handful  of  copper  money, 
three  or  four  silver  dollars,  and  five  pistoles  in  gold. 
As  Whitefield  proceeded,  I  began  to  soften,  and  con- 
cluded to  give  the  copper.  Another  stroke  of  his  orar 
tory  made  me  ashamed  of  that,  and  determined  me  to 
give  the  silver;  and  he  finished  so  admirably  that  I 
emptied  my  pocket  wholly  into  the  collector's  dish,  gold 
and  all."  Whitefield,  however,  became  so  careless  and 
reckless  in  some  of  his  statements  that  before  long  there 
were  many  who  opposed  him.  Among  the  most  energetic 
of  these  opponents,  curiously  enough,  were  the  officials  of 


i7«.]  DOBCHESTER   CHURCHES.  239 

Harvard  and  Yale  colleges.  Whether  they  feared  that  the 
youth  under  their  protection  might  be  unduly  influenced, 
or  suffer  some  other  evil,  is  not  accurately  known  ;  but  it 
is  certain  that  the  opposition  was  jiushed  with  great  zeal. 
It  is  said  that  Dr.  Chauncy,  of  the  First  C'hm-ch,  disliked 
Whitefield  very  much,  and  said  to  liim,  "  Mr.  Whitefield, 
I  am  sorry  to  see  you  have  come  back  again."  "  So  is  the 
devil,"  said  Whitefield.  No  minister  probably  ever  created 
so  great  a  sensation  as  Mr.  Whitefield.  Churches  divided 
after  his  departure,  and  dissensions  arose  on  every  side. 

In  1743  the  third  meeting-house  of  the  town  was  built,' 
its  location  being  a  little  south  of  the  one  that  preceded 
it.  The  Soldier's  Monument  is  about  on  the  spot  of  the 
eastern  entrance ;  an  elm  tree,  given  years  ago  by  William 
Swan  for  the  pui'pose,  marks  the  spot  where  the  pulpit 
was  located.  It  is  about  twenty  or  thirty  feet  north  from 
the  monument.  Tliis  building  was  sixty-eight  feet  long, 
forty-six  feet  wide ;  a  tower  fourteen  feet  square,  and  a 
steeple  one  hundi'ed  and  four  feet  high  to  the  vane.  It 
cost  £3, .567,  lOs.,  llt^.,  old  tenor.  At  the  raising  of  this 
meeting-house,  as  we  have  seen  in  a  preceding  chapter, 
Ephi-aim  Wales  fell  from  one  of  the  beams,  and  died 
the  same  night,  —  an  accident  which  cast  a  gloom  over 
the  otherwise  happ}'  event.  These  chui'ch-raisings  were 
alwaj's  great  events  in  the  town.  The  law  required  that 
each  citizen  should  take  part  in  or  contribute  to  "  rasing 
the  Meeting-hows." 

Deacon  Edward  Pierce  enlarged  this  house,  in  179.5.  by 
dividing  it  along  the  ridge-pole,  moving  one-half  of  it 
fourteen  feet,  and  the  tower  and  steeple  seven  feet,  and 
uniting  the  two  parts  by  new  materials.  The  steeple  was 
on  the  west  end,  with  two  or  three  doors  to  enter  on  that 
side;  and  there  was  a  platform  on  the  south,  with  a 
door  and  aisle  which  led  to  the  pulpit,  located  on  the 
south  side.     There  was  also  a  porch  at  the  east,  with  an 

^  See  illustration  on  p.  117. 


240  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [17S1. 

aisle  which  went  to  the  west  entrance ;  aud  there  were 
several  other  aisles  leading  from  these. 

In  1751  the  Dorchester  proprietors  presented  the  Church 
with  a  bell,  wliich  was  cast  in  England  to  be  sent  to  the 
New  England  town.  It  is  probable  that  this  bell  has  had 
but  one  predecessor.  The  town  records  for  1668  contain 
an  entry  stating  "  that  Nicholas  Bolton  did  agree  to  tend 
the  meeting-house,  to  keep  it  in  decent  order,  and  to  ring 
the  bell  for  the  year  ensuing."  In  1732,  at  a  town  meet^ 
ing,  <£ 3,10s.  was  voted  "toward  the  ringing  of  the  bell 
evenings  at  nine  o'clock  the  year  ensuing." 

The  new  bell  was  hung  June  18,  1752,  and  immediately 
entered  upon  a  long  career  of  usefulness.  It  called  the 
people  to  the  Sabbath  services ;  it  summoned  them  to 
town  meetings ;  it  gave  its  warning  note  in  time  of  fire ; 
it  tolled  the  knell  of  departed  souls ;  it  summoned  the 
citizens  to  the  defence  of  their  country  in  1775 ;  and  in 
1861  proclaimed  the  war  against  human  slavery.  In  all 
events,  civil  and  religious,  the  old  bell  has  played  its  part. 

After  a  long  service  of  over  one  hundred  years,  the  bell 
showed  its  age  by  a  large  crack.  It  was  carefully  taken 
down  therefore,  and  recast,  after  which  it  was  again  hung 
in  the  First  Church  steeple,  where  it  is  to-day. 

Tlie  late  Deacon  Ebenezer  Clapp  gives  the  following 
reminiscence  of  one  of  his  early  visits  to  this  church.  He 
says : — 

"  On  entering  the  inner  door  of  the  meeting-house,  and  turn- 
ing directly  to  the  left,  I  went  about  twenty  feet,  then  turned 
to  the  right  and  went  a  few  feet  and  was  led  into  the  second 
pew  on  the  left;  the  pews  were  square,  seats  all  round,  flag 
bottomed  chairs  in  the  centre,  rungs  to  the  pews,  where  the 
children  could  peep  out,  like  lambs  from  a  sheep  pen.  At 
prayer  time  I  was  placed  in  one  of  those  aforesaid  flag  bot- 
tomed chairs,  there  to  stand  through  that  service,  (and  fiom 
which  I  had  a  good  view  out  of  a  south  and  an  east  window)  ; 
for  all  stood  through  that  performance,  and  they  were  deemed 
lazy  Christians  who  lu'lng  able-bodied  did  not  comply." 


1774.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  241 

The  Rev.  Moses  Everett,  who  was  ordained  Sept.  28, 
1774,  was  a  native  of  Dedliam.  His  pastorate  of  eighteen 
years  was  eminently  successful,  but  poor  health  made  it 
necessary  for  him  to  resign.  As  has  been  said  of  liim,  he 
was  "too  feeble  to  fulfil,  and  too  conscientious  to  neg- 
lect" the  duties  wliich  devolved  upon  him  as  pastor  of 
the  Church.  The  year  after  his  resignation  he  was  elected 
a  representative  in  the  Legislature,  and  in  1808  he  was 
appointed  a  special  justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 
In  these  positions  he  displayed  the  same  sterling  qualities 
which  he  had  shown  in  the  pulpit.  He  died  March  25, 
1813.     Edward  Everett  was  his  nephew. 

With  the  name  of  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris 
the  history  of  the  First  Church  becomes  modern.  He 
was  born  Jidy  7,  1768,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1787.  He  was  called  to  the  pulpit  at  Dor- 
chester when  but  twenty-five  years  of  age,  being  ordained 
October  23,  1793 ;  and  he  remained  pastor  of  the  church 
for  forty-three  years.  During  this  period  his  strict  ad- 
herence to  duty,  his  sympathetic  nature,  his  eloquent 
sermons,  and  his  saintly  life,  endeared  him  to  all.  A 
prominent  divine  has  said  of  him  that  in  the  whole  line 
of  ministers  no  one  stands  out  so  prominently  for  varied 
scholarship,  literary  industry,  and  multifarious  occupa- 
tion as  Dr.  Harris ;  and  also,  "  He  was  a  fountain  of 
tender  and  poetic  sensibility,  of  keen  wit  and  genial 
nature." 

In  1835  Dr.  Harris,  feeling  that  the  duties  of  liis  position 
as  pastor  were  too  severe  for  his  declining  years,  asked  his 
people  to  appoint  a  fellow-laborer;  and  as  a  result  the 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Jr.,  was  appointed  his  assistant.  Dr. 
Harris,  however,  remained  with  the  Church  but  one  year 
after  this,  resigning  October  23,  1836.  He  was  closely 
allied  to  the  interests  of  the  parish,  in  spite  of  his  resigna- 
tion, until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  3,  1842,  in  the 
seventy-fourth  year  of  his  age.     Dr.  Harris  was  an  early 


242  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1804. 

member  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  and  after 
liis  retirement  from  the  ministry  he  became  its  librarian. 
He  was  especially  interested  in  the  history  of  Doi'cliester, 
and  in  1804  he  published  a  "  Topographical  and  Clirono- 
logical  Account "  of  the  town  in  which  so  large  a  portion 
of  liis  life  had  been  spent.  If  he  had  lived,  he  would  have 
published  a  more  complete  history  of  Dorchester,  on  wliich 
he  was  working  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

There  are  many  anecdotes  related  which  illustrate  the 
excellent  characteristics  of  Dr.  Harris.  The  Rev.  Na- 
thaniel Hall,  Jr.,  in  the  address  preached  at  Dr.  Harris's 
funeral,  says,  that  while  a  student  in  Harvard  College  he 
was  exceedingly  straitened  for  support,  and  was  one  day 
walking  into  Boston,  giving  way  to  many  moody  thoughts 
concerning  his  hai-d  luck.  Suddenly  he  pei'ceived  on  the 
end  of  his  walking-stick  a  metallic  ring,  which  proved  on 
examination  to  be  of  gold.  He  took  it  to  a  jeweller,  who 
not  only  purchased  it  for  a  liberal  price,  but  pointed  out 
the  motto  upon  it :  "  God  s^ieed  thee,  friend."  The  young 
man  burst  into  tears.  Providence  seemed  to  be  rebuking 
liim  for  his  despondency,  and  he  never  forgot  the  lesson." 
"  That  motto,"  he  used  to  say,  "  has  ever  been  the  supjjort 
of  my  faith  when  it  was  feeble,  and  the  strength  of  my 
heart  when  it  was  faint." 

The  late  Rev.  A.  P.  Peabody,  D.D.,  relates  also  tliis 
anecdote  of  him :  "  While  still  a  young  man  he  went 
abroad,  and  hapijened  at  one  time  to  be  in  the  company 
of  a  number  of  others  of  his  own  age.  It  was  remarked 
how  many  nationalities  were  represented,  and  some  one 
proposed  that  each  one  sing  the  national  song  of  his 
country.  All  did  so  in  turn  until  it  came  to  Mr.  Harris, 
when,  not  knowing  what  was  our  national  song,  and  not 
willing  to  acknowledge  the  fact,  he  sang  his  favorite 
hymn,  — 

'  Tlieie  is  a  land  of  pure  delight, 
Where  saints  immortal  reign.' 


1815.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  245 

It  was  received  with  applause  ;  and  he  never  afterwards 
doubted  that  that  was  the  national  song  of  America." 

The  violent  storm  of  September  23,  1815,  referred  to  in 
a  preceding  chapter,  so  injured  the  old  meeting-house  of 
the  First  Parish  that  it  was  considered  expedient  to  erect 
a  new  building.  A  committee  was  chosen  for  this  purpose, 
consisting  of  Deacon  James  Humphi-eys,  Deacon  Ebenezer 
Clapp,  Capt.  Moses  Inglee,  Dr.  Henry  Gardner,  Maj. 
Edward  Robinson,  Mr.  Daniel  Witliington,  Capt.  Samuel 
H.  Everett,  Mr.  Benjamin  Jacobs,  Mr.  Samuel  Clapp, 
Thomas  Moseley,  Esq.,  Samuel  P.  Loud,  Esq.,  Mr. 
William  Pope,  Capt.  Nathaniel  Minot,  and  Mr.  Lewis 
Pierce. 

On  May  16, 1816,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  with  impres- 
sive ceremonies.  A  large  number  of  people  assembled; 
and  a  procession  was  formed  of  the  parish  committee,  the 
artificers,  and  the  operative  masons.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Harris 
began  the  services  with  prayer,  an  ode  composed  for  the 
occasion  was  sung,  and  the  stone  was  then  laid.  After 
the  address  by  the  pastor.  Deacon  James  Humphreys 
delivered  the  tools  to  the  workmen  with  the  following 
charge :  — 

"  Gentlemen:  In  behalf  of  the  parish  committee  I  congratu- 
late you  on  this  occasion.  The  corner-stone  for  the  foundation 
of  the  sacred  edifice  here  to  be  erected  is  now  laid,  and  I 
deliver  over  to  you  the  implements  of  the  artificers  by  which 
the  work  is  to  be  constructed.  We  intrast  you,  the  master 
workmen,  with  the  superintendence  and  dhection  of  the  build- 
ing. Let  it  be  prepared,  formed,  aud  finished  in  a  masterly 
manner,  as  becomes  a  temple  for  the  worship  aud  honor  of  God. 
And  let  me  charge  you,  and  the  laborers  that  you  shall  employ, 
not  only  to  be  diligent  and  faithful,  but  discreet ;  and  to 
remember  that  you  are  not  only  working  for  us,  but  in  a  peculiar 
sense  for  Grod,  in  building  a  house  for  Him.  Let  there  be, 
therefore,  no  unworthy  contention  and  no  unsuitable  indulgence 
among  you  ;  but  all  the  conduct  of  all  the  workmen  be  such  that 


246  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1816. 

God  may  approve  them,  and  the  work  in  which  they  are 
engaged ;  and  may  He  bless  us,  and  we  ascribe  to  Him  the 
glory.     Amen." 

An  especially  interesting  feature  of  the  occasion  was 
the  presence  of  Deacon  Edward  Pierce,  the  day  being  his 
eighty-first  birthday.  He  had  been  present  at  the  raising 
of  the  former  meeting-house,  and  had  been  employed  in 
rejjairing  and  enlarging  it. 

The  building  was  finally  completed,  and  met  with  great 
general  approbation.  One  of  the  daily  papers  of  that 
time  referred  to  it  as  follows :  "  The  edifice  is  finished  in 
a  masterly  manner,  and  is  an  honor  to  the  town.  The 
steeple,  in  particular,  is  considered  a  most  beautiful  speci- 
men of  arcliitecture,  makes  a  graceful  appearance,  and, 
from  its  elevated  situation,  as  well  as  its  towering  height, 
is  seen  to  advantage  from  the  neighboring  towns,  and  is 
a  kind  of  pharos  to  the  harbor,  so  that  the  most  conspicu- 
ous object  which  meets  the  eyes  of  the  sailors  as  they  enter 
the  port  is  one  wliicli  recalls  to  them  the  services  of  reli- 
gion, and  mingles  tlie  thoughts  of  jiiety  with  the  gladness 
of  arrival." 

The  last  meeting  in  the  old  church  was  on  December  1, 
181G.  The  morning  sermon  was  preached  from  Rev.  iii.  3 : 
"  Remember  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,  and 
hold  fast  and  repent ; "  and  that  of  the  afternoon  from 
Ex.  xxxiii.  15 :  "  If  thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry 
us  not  up  hence."  On  the  following  day  the  new  building 
was  dedicated,  the  occasion  being  the  anniversary  of  the 
dedication  of  the  old  meeting-house.  The  Rev.  John 
Codman,  of  the  Second  Church,  delivered  the  introductory 
prayer ;  while  the  others  who  took  part  in  the  services 
were  Rev.  Thomas  Gray,  of  the  Second  Church,  Roxbury ; 
Mr.  Nathaniel  Topliff ;  Rev.  Eliphalet  Porter,  D.D.,  of  the 
First  Church,  Roxbury ;  and  Rev.  John  Pierce,  D.  D.,  of 
Brookline.  The  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris,  the  pastor, 
delivered  the  sermon. 


1835.] 


DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  247 


The  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Jr.,  who  was 
ordained  July  16,  1835,  lasted  for  forty  years,  and  was 
remarkable  for  the  wonderful  hold  which  the  pastor  had 
upon  his  peoijle.  Of  no  minister  could  it  be  more  truly 
said  that  he  — 

"  Allured  to  brighter  worlds,  and  led  the  way." 

Many  of  those  living  to-day  who  listened  to  his  sermons 
can  testify  to  the  influence  he  had  on  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact.  It  has  been  said  of  him  that  "  fervent 
piety  must  be  regarded  as  the  forming  element  of  his  char- 
acter, the  inspiration  of  his  life-work,  the  prime  factor  of 
Hs  usefulness."     Mr.  Hall  died  October  21,  1875. 

The  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Hall, 
was  ordained  in  1876,  and  preached  for  five  years.  In 
1881  he  resigned  to  accept  the  position  of  editor  of  the 
"Christian  Register,"  where  his  field  of  usefulness  has 
been  largely  extended.  Mr.  Barrows  has  won  a  well- 
earned  reputation  by  his  literary  work.  His  connection 
with  the  First  Church  was  by  no  means  severed  when  he 
resigned  his  pastorate,  for  as  a  layman  he  rendered  invalu- 
able services  to  the  people  and  to  his  immediate  successor. 
The  Rev.  Christopher  R.  Eliot  was  ordained  February  2, 
1882,  and  resigned  April  6,  1893.  Mr.  Eliot's  successor 
has  not  yet  been  chosen. 

The  religious  unity  in  Dorchester  has  been  remarkable. 
From  1636  to  the  present  time,  a  period  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty-seven  years,  the  First  Parish  has  had  but  eleven 
ministers,  —  an  average  pastorate  of  twenty-four  years. 
A  summary  of  the  ministers  of  the  First  Parish  from  the 
first  settlement  until  the  present  time  is  as  follows :  — 

Rev.  John  Warham      )  i  i.       ^i. 

>■  served  together. 
Rev.  John  alavenck     > 

Rev.  Richard  Mather,  ordained  August  23,  1G3G,  died  April  22,  1669. 

Rev.  Jonathan  Burr,  ordained  February,  1640,  died  August  9,  1641. 

Rev.  John  Wilson,  Jr.  ordained  —  1649,  resigned  —  1651. 

14 


248  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1880. 

Rev.  Josiah  Flint,  ordained  December  27,  1671,  died  September  15, 1680. 

Rev.  John  Danforth,  ordained  June  8,  1682,  died  May  26,  1730. 

Rev.  Jonathan  Bowman,  ordained  November  5, 1 729,  resigned  December 

14,  1773. 
Rev.  Moses  Everett,  ordained  September  28,   1774,  resigned  January 

14,  1793. 
Rev.  TLaddeus   Mason   Harris,  ordained   October    23,  1793,  resigned 

October  23,  1836. 
Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Jr.,  ordained  July  16,  1835,  died  October  21, 1875. 
Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows,  ordained  November  2,  1876,  resigned  Decem- 
ber 31,  1881. 
Rev.  Christopher  R.  Eliot,  ordained  February  2,  1882,  resigned  April  6, 
1893. 
Curiously  enough,  the  same  long  term  of  service  which 
characterized  the  pastors  of  the  Fii'st  Church  is  found  also 
in  regard  to  its  elders  and  deacons.  Henry  Withingtoii, 
who  was  appointed  a  ruling  elder  when  the  church  was 
reorganized  in  1636,  served  for  thirty  years ;  Deacon 
Edward  Clap,  one  of  the  early  officers  of  the  church,  died 
after  twenty-six  years  of  service  ;  Ahijah  White  served 
forty-eight  years ;  Samuel  Topliff,  forty-five ;  Edward 
Pierce,  forty-one  ;  James  Humphreys,  forty-six ;  Ebenezer 
Clapp,  twenty-five  years ;  and  Heniy  Humphreys,  one  of 
the  present  deacons,  has  served  sixty-one  j-ears.  The  dea- 
cons served  two  or  three  together,  some  of  them  also  acting 
in  the  capacity  of  ruling  elder  until  that  office  was  finally 
abolished.  The  Clapp  family  has  been  represented  in  the 
deaconship  since  1638,  and  the  Humj^hreys  since  1666. 

On  Easter  Sunday,  March  28,  1880,  a  celebration  was 
held  to  commemorate  the  two  hundi-ed  and  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  the  gathering  of  the  Church  in  England,  and  its 
departure  for  America.  The  weather  was  unpropitious, 
a  snow-storm,  mingled  with  rain,  marring  but  not  inter- 
rupting the  exercises.  In  spite  of  the  storm,  however, 
the  attendance  at  the  exercises  was  large ;  the  regular 
attendants  of  the  First  Church  being  joined  by  many  from 
the  other  churches  of  Dorchester,  and  from  Roxbury, 
Cambridge,  Milton,  Newton,  and  other  adjacent  towns. 


1806.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  249 

The  exercises  included  an  anniversary  sermon  by  the 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows,  on  "  The  Genesis  and 
Exodus  of  the  First  Church  of  Dorchester."  The  speak- 
ers of  the  occasion  were  the  Rev.  Edmund  Quincy  Sewall 
Osgood,  the  Rev.  Arthur-  M.  Knapp,  the  Rev.  John  G. 
Brooks,  E.  B.  Reynolds,  Esq.,  the  Rev.  E.  N.  Packard, 
and  the  Rev.  John  H.  Morison,  D.  D. 

We  have  seen  that  until  1806  all  Dorchester  worshipped 
in  the  same  church,  as  the  engagements  with  the  Indians, 
emigration,  and  other  causes,  had  so  kept  the  number  of 
inhabitants  down,  that  one  meeting-house  had  proved  suffi- 
cient. In  1805,  however,  as  recorded  in  a  preceding 
chapter,  it  was  seen  that  the  congregation  had  outgrown  its 
accommodations ;  so  it  was  proposed  to  divide  the  parish, 
and  erect  another  building.  The  communications  between 
the  two  parties  on  this  subject  show  that  the  most  con- 
genial relations  existed  at  that  time  between  the  mother 
Church  and  her  offspring.     The  letters  are  as  follows :  — 

To  the  Members  of  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Dorchester  : 

Your  brethren,  about  to  form  a  Second  Church  in  this  town, 
take  the  liberty  of  adding  a  few  obseiTations  to  the  request  they 
have  laid  before  you  for  a  dissohition  of  their  relation  as  joint 
members  in  Church  fellowship  with  you. 

In  making  this  application,  we  experience  a  variety  of  affect- 
ing sentiments.  We  recollect  that  at  oui-  admission  into  the 
Chui-eh  we  promised  to  watch  over  each  other  with  a  sphit  of 
love  and  tenderness,  and  to  counsel  and  assist  each  other  as 
occasion  might  require,  and  opportunity  be  offered. 

These  Clu'istian  regards  on  our  part  we  wish  always  to  cher- 
ish, and  we  hope  from  you  a  reciprocal  return  of  affection  and 
kindness. 

In  a  view  of  our  covenant  vows  and  engagements  to  God 
and  each  other,  we  now  profess  that  our  arrangements  hitherto 
have  been  guided  with  reference  to  the  better  accommodation  of 
ourselves  and  others,  in  this  large  and  growing  town,  in  the 


250  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1806. 

sen'ice  of  public  worship,  aud  the  more  couvenieut  atteudauee 
upon  the  oidinauces. 

We  have,  in  every  stage  of  this  important  business,  expressed 
our  reluctance  in  complete  separation.  That  it  is  now  to  take 
place  is  a  painful  consideration ;  but  we  yield  to  it  upon  prin- 
ciples of  accordance,  and  with  sincere  desires  that  we  may  be 
one  in  brothei'ly  love  and  charity,  though  separated  in  place  of 
public  worship,  in  the  celebration  of  the  ordinances,  and  in 
Church  establishment  and  discipline  ;  and  we  entreat  you  not  to 
consider  division  as  implying  alienation,  for  that  we  would 
never  feel. 

The  large  aud  respectable  committee  chosen  by  the  Church, 
whose  report  you  have  accepted,  have  stated  the  principles  on 
which  we  now  found  our  request  that  our  relation  may  be  dis- 
solved, and  that  we  may  be  formed  into  a  Second  Church  in 
the  town  of  Dorchester.  In  carrying  your  vote  of  acceptance 
into  effect,  we  assure  ourselves  of  your  readiness  to  yield  us 
cheerfully  the  privileges  and  advantages  there  granted ;  and 
we  now  make  the  additional  request  that  you  would  entertain 
toward  us  the  pleasant  intercourse  which  belongs  to  the  commu- 
nion of  churches. 

Brethren,  the  period  of  our  separation  has  arrived.  It  is 
solemn  and  affecting.  Bear  us  on  your  devout  petitions  to 
God,  that  he  would  endow  us  with  wisdom  profitable  to  direct 
us,  that  he  would  build  us  up,  and  succeed  and  prosper  our 
designs  for  the  furtherance  of  gospel  order. 

We  are  engaged  in  a  great  and  arduous  undertaking.  We 
must  now  look  forward  to  the  settlement  of  a  pastor,  for  we  are 
as  sheep  removed  from  the  fold.  Intreat,  we  beseech  you,  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church  that  he  would  send  us  a  spiritual 
guide,  who  shall  lead  us  in  the  way  everlasting. 

God  forbid  that  we  should  sin  against  the  Lord  in  ceasing  to 
pray  for  you  aud  your  spiritual  instructor,  whom  we  bear  on 
our  hearts  with  the  highest  esteem,  and  separate  from  with  the 
deepest  regret. 

Finally,  brethren,  farewell.  Grant  us  now  and  always  your 
goodwill,  your  Christian  communion,  and  your  prayers ;  for 
these  are  requested  by  those  who  always  felt  happy  in  Christian 


1806.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  251 

fellowship  with  you,  though  now  subscribers  for  the  purpose  of 
forming  a  Second  Church,  and  who  will  still  unite  with  j'ou  in 
fervent  prayer  that  we  may  all  have  our  transgressions  forgiven, 
and  be  renewed  and  sanctified  by  redeeming  grace ;  and  that  we 
may  be  preserved  from  sin  and  every  evil  while  we  live  in  this 
world,  and  be  prepared  for  that  more  important  state  of  exist- 
ence to  which  we  are  all  hastening. 

Stephen  Badlam,         J 
Samuel  Withington,  >  Committee. 
Joseph  Clap,  ) 

Dorchester,  Dec.  13,  1807. 

In  reply,  the  following  affectionate  letter  was  received : 

Brethren  and  Sisters,  —  In  yielding  to  your  request  for  a  dis- 
solution of  yom-  immediate  relation  to  us,  we  reciprocate  the 
tender  and  affecting  sentiments  with  which  that  application  was 
accompanied,  and  assure  you  of  our  good-wlU  and  cordial 
affection,  which  many  considerations  have  served  to  strengthen. 
As  inhabitants  of  the  same  town,  as  neighbors,  friends,  and 
relatives ;  as  those  who  have  gone  with  us  to  the  house  of  God 
in  company  ;  as  joint  worshippers  and  attendants  upon  religious 
services ;  as  bound  by  the  same  covenant  engagements,  and 
partakers  together  at  the  same  table  of  the  Lord,  —  we  have 
ties  peculiarly  strong  and  affectionate,  and  we  would  be  far  from 
considering  that  the  kind  regards  which  these  have  produced  are 
alienated  or  even  diminished  by  the  separation  which  now  takes 
place.  Although  circumstances  have  made  it  expedient  that  j'ou 
should  form  a  new  Church,  and  your  membership  with  us  should 
be  dissolved,  yet  we  cannot  be  indifferent  to  your  welfare.  We 
pray  that  you  may  enjoy  the  divine  guidance,  may  be  formed 
into  Church  estate  iu  gospel  order  and  agreeably  to  the  ecclesi- 
astical platform,  and  that  you  may  soon  be  settled  under  a 
pastor  in  whose  care  and  instruction  your  spu-itual  improvement 
may  be  promoted  and  yom-  prosperity  advanced. 

It  will  be  pleasing  to  us  that,  whenever  you  have  inclination 
and  opportunity,  you  should  come  to  our  communion  table,  and 
that  where  we  pledged  our  vows  of  Christiau  fellowship  we  may 
occasionally  meet  those  with  whom  we  first  partook  the  sacred 
elements. 


Committee. 


252  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1808. 

Finally,  brethren  and  sisters,  accept  the  benediction  we  pro- 
nounce, with  pious  application  to  heaven  in  your  behalf ;  and 
may  the  God  of  grace,  who  hath  called  us  to  his  eternal  king- 
dom and  glory  by  Jesus  Christ,  assist,  stablish,  and  settle  you ; 
and,  in  whatever  respects  we  be  separate  on  earth,  may  you  and 
we  be  joint  members  of  the  Church  of  the  first-born,  whose 
names  are  written  in  heaven. 

Thaddeus  M.  Harris,' 

Moses  Everett, 

Edward  Pierce, 

James  Humphreys, 

Ebenezer  Wales, 

ezekiel  tolman, 
When  it  was  finally  decided  to  make  the  separation, 
steps  were  taken  at  once  to  make  a  successful  beginning 
in  the  formation  of  the  parish,  and  the  erection  of  a 
church.  One  hundi-ed  and  thirteen  shares  were  sub- 
scribed, and  nearly  an  acre  of  land  was  purchased  at  the 
corner  of  Washington  and  Centre  streets.  The  work  was 
practically  begun  on  August  7,  1805,  and  the  builcUng 
was  dedicated  October  30,  1806.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  the  bell  of  the  new  structure  was  cast  by  Paul  Revere. 
The  dechcation  sermon  was  preached  by  the  Rev.  Thaddeus 
Mason  Harris,  the  pastor  of  the  First  Church,  as  the  origi- 
nal one  was  now  called.  His  text  on  this  occasion  was 
from  Acts  ii.  42:  "And  they  continued  steadfastly  in 
the  apostles'  doctrine  and  fellowship  and  in  breaking  of 
bread,  and  in  jarayers." 

On  September  9,  1808,  the  Church  met  to  elect  a  pastor, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Harris  acting  as  moderator  and  clerk.  The 
vote  was  taken  by  wi-itten  ballot,  and,  strangely  enough, 
it  was  found  that  every  vote  was  cast  for  Mr.  John  Codraan. 
Eleven  days  later  the  selection  of  the  Church  was  ratified 
by  the  parish,  and  Mr.  Codman  was  ordained  on  the 
seventh  day  of  the  following  December.  The  Rev. 
William  E.  Channing  was  the  ofiiciating  minister  on 
this  occasion. 


1808.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  253 

"  The  name  of  John  Codnian,"  sa3's  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joshua 
Bates,  "  belongs  to  the  ecclesiastical  liistory  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  will,  unquestionably,  occupy  a  prominent  place 
in  that  history  when,  at  some  future  period,  it  shall  be 
wiitten  by  a  faithful  hand,  and  be  made  to  embrace  in  its 
records  all  the  leading  events  and  distinguished  men  con- 
nected with  the  organization  of  churches  in  this  land  and 
their  progress  to  this  time." 

Mr.  Codman  is  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  history  of 
Dorchester.  He  was  born  in  Boston  August  3,  1782,  of  a 
family  whose  members  were  always  remarkable  in  New 
England  for  their  integrity,  and  who  enjoyed  a  large  and 
valuable  influence,  both  in  social  and  civil  relations.  He 
was  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1802,  at  the  early 
age  of  twenty.  As  a  scholar,  he  was  not  especially  con- 
spicuous ;  yet,  when  the  literary  honors  were  bestowed 
Mr.  Codman's  name  was  included,  showing  that  he  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  the  governors  and  instructors  of 
the  college.  Immediately  upon  graduation  Mr.  Codman 
entered  upon  the  study  of  law ;  but  at  the  dj-ing  request 
of  his  father,  he  changed  liis  profession,  and  fitted  himself 
for  the  ministry. 

In  1805  Mr.  Cocbuan  went  to  Edinburgh  to  pursue  liis 
theological  studies,  and  on  liis  return,  tlu-ee  years  later, 
he  showed  himself  to  be  an  interesting  and  impressive 
preacher.  On  the  twentieth  of  September,  1808,  he  re- 
ceived a  unanimous  call  to  be  pastor  of  the  newly  settled 
Second  Parish.  Before  he  accepted  the  call,  however,  he 
set  his  religious  sentiments  clearly  before  the  people,  and 
asked  them  to  reconsider  their  choice.  He  did  this  as  it 
was  understood  that  the  parish  was  made  up  of  j^ersons 
of  different  religious  ideas,  and  he  wished  to  guard  against 
future  trouble.  When  the  call  was  repeated  Mr.  Codman 
hesitated  no  longer.  He  entered  upon  liis  parish  work 
with  characteristic  zeal,  and  for  a  short  time  all  went 
well. 


264  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1809. 

We  can  better  understand  the  turn  affairs  took  if  we 
take  into  account  the  fact  that  it  was  at  this  time  that  the 
lines  were  beginning  to  be  diawn  distinctly  between  the 
rigid  and  the  liberal  jjortions  of  the  churches.  Unitarian- 
ism  existed  as  a  faith,  but  not  as  a  denomination.  All 
liberal  ministers  and  churches  were  yet  of  the  Congrega- 
tional body;  and  diffei'ences,  however  great,  were  only 
personal,  not  denominational.  Dr.  Harris  and  the  First 
Parish  belonged  to  the  liberal  order,  and  the  new  or  Second 
Chm'ch  was  composed  of  those  who  were  in  sympathy  with 
him  and  liis  views.  As  the  Second  Chm-ch  was  organized 
as  a  natural  offspring  of  the  First  Church,  and  as  Dr. 
Harris  preached  the  sermon  of  dedication  and  Dr.  Chan- 
ning  the  sermon  at  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Codman,  it  was  a 
natural  supposition  that  it  would  be  a  liberal,  or  Unita- 
rian, body.  The  new  minister,  however,  possessed  strong 
Orthodox  views.  In  those  days  exchanges  were  very 
common ;  and  it  was  the  custom  of  members  of  the  Boston 
Association,  to  which  the  Congregational  ministers  of 
Boston  belonged,  to  exchange  with  all  the  other  members 
of  the  association  in  turn.  This  had  been  Dr.  Harris's 
custom  at  the  First  Church,  and  the  congregation  expected 
the  same  to  be  done  at  the  Second ;  but  Mr.  Codman  de- 
parted from  tills  precedent,  and  exchanged  only  with  those 
of  pronounced  Orthodox  views.  This  called  forth  inquiry 
and  then  remonstrances  from  a  certain  proportion  of  the 
congregation  ;  and  a  long  and  bitter  controversy  followed. 

On  the  tenth  of  November,  1809,  Messrs.  Edmund 
Baker,  Benjamin  Fuller,  Thomas  Crehore,  and  thirty-seven 
others  sent  a  paper  to  Mr.  Codman  exjiressing  their  regret 
that  his  exchanges  did  not  include  some  of  the  ministers 
who  composed  the  Boston  Association.  This  paper,  while 
drawn  up  in  a  polite  and  courteous  manner,  called  forth  a 
reply  from  Mr.  Codman  which  at  once  opened  the  war.  In 
August,  1810,  thirty-eight  pews  in  the  meeting-house  were 
offered  for  sale  in  the  "  Columbian  Centinel,"  and  on  the 


1812.] 


DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  255 


first  day  of  the  following  December  sixty-nine  more  were 
advertised  in  the  "  Centinel  and  Chronicle."  Tliis  paper, 
moreover,  contained  an  article  which  was  turned  directly 
against  Mr.  Codman,  and  created  no  little  excitement. 

Lettei-s  were  written  to  the  eight  clergymen  vnih  whom 
Mr.  Codman  had  been  in  the  habit  of  exchangmg,  request- 
ing them  not  to  preach  in  his  pulpit  again ;  and  further 
steps  were  taken  to  require  a  resignation  from  the  pastor. 
A  council  was  called,  without  opposition  on  the  part  of 
Mr.  Codman,  composed  of  ministers  and  delegates  from 
twelve  churches,  before  wliich  the  charges  against  the 
pastor  were  brought  up.  After  the  question  was  thor- 
oughly discussed  by  both  parties,  what  is  known  in  the 
Church  history  as  "  the  fii'st  council  "  came  to  an  end  with 
the  following  advice :  — 

"This  couDcil,  at  the  conclusion  of  om-  result,  feel  it  to  be 
our  duty  to  declare  that  we  have,  as  we  trust,  attended  with 
patience  and  impartiality  to  the  statements,  evidence,  and  pleas 
which  have  been  presented  to  us  by  the  parties  in  this  contro- 
versy, and,  though  unable  to  decide  on  the  last  question  which 
came  before  us  (that  the  Church  liad  just  cause  for  complaint 
against  Mr.  Codman),  yet  we  deeply  sympathize  with  the  pastor, 
Church,  and  congregation,  under  their  present  unhappy  divisions  ; 
and  unitedly  recommend  to  them  '  the  things  which  make  for 
peace,  and  things  wherewith  one  may  edify  another.'" 

It  was  hoped  that  the  controversy  would  end  here,  but 
such  was  unhappily  not  the  case.  A  second  council  was 
called  May  12,  1812,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lathrop  acting  as  mod- 
erator. After  a  session  of  two  days  the  members  were 
equally  divided  upon  the  question  that  "  in  the  opinion  of 
this  council,  under  existing  circumstances,  it  is  expedient 
that  the  ministerial  and  pastoral  relations  between  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Codman  and  the  Second  Parish  in  Dorchester  be 
dissolved."  It  then  fell  upon  Dr.  Lathrop  to  decide  the 
question ;  and  he  voted  in  the  negative,  adding  a  recom- 
mendation to    Mr.   Codman  to  "open   a   more   free    and 


256  GOOD   OLD  DOKCHESTEE.  [1812. 

liberal  intercourse  with  his  ministerial  brethi-en."  Mr. 
Coclman  acquiesced  in  the  decision  of  the  council,  and 
declared  his  determination  to  follow  the  advice  of  Dr. 
Latluop  as  far  as  he  conscientiously  could. 

Those  who  had  worked  so  hard  to  secure  Mr.  Codman's 
dismissal  were  by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  results  of 
the  councils ;  and  two  months  later  the  trouble  broke  out 
again.  A  letter  was  addressed  to  Mr.  Codman  by  the 
parish  committee  requiring  a  categorical  answer  to  the 
question  whether  or  not  he  intended  to  exchange  indis- 
criminately with  twelve  ministers  of  the  Boston  Associa- 
tion whom  they  named,  and  with  whom  he  had  never 
exchanged.  To  this  demand  Mr.  Codman  replied  "  that  he 
should  endeavor  to  comply  with  the  true  spirit  and  mean- 
ing of  the  result  of  the  last  council ;  that  the  right  of 
regulating  his  exchanges  was  admitted  to  be  in  him ;  that 
the  council  could  not  have  intended  by  admitting  the 
advice  of  the  moderator  as  a  part  of  their  result  that  he 
shoiUd  bind  himself  by  any  pledge  as  to  exchanging  with 
individuals ;  that  lie  should  endeavor  to  preach  at  home 
as  much  as  possible ;  and  that  when  he  did  exchange  he 
should  consult  the  feelings  and  wishes  of  his  people  in 
general." 

Carrying  out  his  promise,  Mr.  Codman  during  the  next 
few  weeks  exchanged  with  two  of  the  twelve  ministers 
named  by  the  parish  committee  ;  but  this  failed  to  satisfy 
the  opposition,  whose  persistence  would  seem  to  confii-m 
the  statement  that  the  matter  of  exchanges  was  not  the 
real  basis  of  the  trouble.  A  second  letter  was  addressed 
to  Mr.  Codman,  repeating  the  demand  for  indiscriminate 
exchanges,  and  complaining  of  the  infrequency.  "Are 
one  or  two  stars,"  they  asked,  "  though  of  the  first  mag- 
nitude, to  content  us  for  the  light  which  might  be  derived 
from  all  the  planets  of  our  system,  revolving  in  order?" 
The  crisis  came  on  November  24,  1812,  when  by  a  slight 
majority  Mr.  Codman  was  declared  dismissed.     The  mi- 


1812.J  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  257 

nority  was  so  strong,  however,  that  they  refused  to  yield : 
and  on  the  following  Sunday  the  congregation  was  pre- 
sided over  by  two  clergymen. 

The  following  excellent  account  of  the  remarkable  per- 
formances of  this  Sunday  is  quoted  in  full  from  an  article 
published  at  that  time  :  — 

"When  he  (Mr.  Codiiiau)  entered,  he  found  eight  sturdy 
men  posted  on  the  pulpit  stairs,  four  on  each  side  of  the  pulpit, 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  obstruct  the  passage  enthely.  Mr. 
Codman  was  determined  to  do  aU  in  liis  power  to  maintain  his 
rights.  He  advanced,  therefore,  on  his  way  to  the  pulpit,  till 
he  crowded  hard  against  the  bodies  of  the  rioters,  and,  in  find- 
ing in  them  no  disposition  to  yield,  he  turned  into  the  seat 
under  the  pulpit,  aud  soon  after  began  public  worship.  In  the 
meantime,  he  had  expressly  demanded  admission  into  the 
pulpit ;  and  one  of  his  friends,  senior  deacon  of  the  Church, 
and  a  magistrate  of  the  county,  made  a  suitable  declaration, 
and  ordered  the  rioters  to  desist  from  theh  unlawful  purposes. 
All  this  had  no  effect,  and  the  agitation  of  the  assembly  was 
now  considerable.  When  Mr.  Codman  began  public  worship, 
all  became  quiet,  and  the  exercises  were  unusually  solemn  and 
affecting.  In  the  midst  of  the  first  prayer,  the  redoubtable 
preacher  for  the  parish  committee  (Mr.  Warren  Pierce)  made 
his  appearance,  and  his  guard  of  honor  opened  and  gave  him 
entrance  into  the  pulpit.  There  he  stayed  during  the  remainder 
of  the  services,  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  he  made  no  fur- 
ther disturbance  till  Mr.  Codman  had  pronounced  the  blessing ; 
unless  it  be  that  he  discovered  sundry  sj'mptoms  of  uneasiness, 
and  appeared  anxious,  as  the  audience  absurdlj'  imagined,  to 
find  some  gap  or  break  into  which  he  might  thrust  the  com- 
mencement of  his  sendees.  But  no  such  gap  or  break  was  he 
able  to  find,  and  he  made  no  noise  or  other  disturbance. 

"When  Mr.  Codman  had  dismissed  the  asseml:)ly,  he  stepped 
foiTvard  into  the  middle  of  the  house,  addressed  the  said 
preacher  by  name,  expressed  surprise  at  such  an  intrusion,  and 
forbade  his  preaching  in  that  place.  The  magistrate  to  whom 
we  have  alluded  confirmed  the  statement  of  Mr.  Codman,  and 


258  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1812. 

declared  such  an  intrusion  to  be  a  violation  of  all  law,  order, 
and  propriety.     Several  others  urged  the  same  thing. 

"  The  preacher  replied,  in  substance,  that  he  did  not  wish  to 
do  anything  conti-ary  to  the  peace  of  the  parish,  but  he  must 
proceed.  The  magistrate  then  made  proclamation  that  all  the 
friends  of  law,  order,  and  decency,  would  be  expected  to  retii'e. 
They  retired  accordingly,  and  the  preacher  was  left  to  address 
a  comparatively  empty  house.  He  went  through  with  his  exer- 
cises, had  a  very  short  intermission,  and  was  nearly  through  his 
second  sermon,  when  Mr.  Codman  and  his  friends  assembled 
for  worship  in  the  afternoon.  It  seems  that  the  redoubtable 
preacher  was  quite  a  legal  character ;  he  could  tell  at  first  flush 
how  the  Supreme  Court  would  decide  Mr.  Codman's  controversy, 
and,  being  such  a  legal  character,  he  well  knew  that  possession 
was  a  great  point  in  the  law.  He  therefore  wisely  determined 
to  keep  possession  of  the  pulpit  during  his  short  intermission. 
The  refreshment  which  was  afforded  him,  he  took  without  leav- 
ing the  house.  After  the  completion  of  his  services  he  and  his 
hearers  retired,  and  Mr.  Codman  ascended  the  pulpit,  and 
preached  as  usual.  The  preacher  of  the  parish  committee  had 
forty-eight  hearers  on  the  lower  floor  of  the  house,  at  his  after- 
noon sen'ice  ;  Mr.  Codman  had  two  hundred  and  twenty.  The 
proportion  in  the  gallery  was  probably  not  very  different.  Mr. 
Codman  preached  in  the  forenoon  from  these  words :  '  Casting 
all  your  care  upon  him ;  for  he  careth  for  you ; '  and  in  the 
afternoon  from  :  '  Father,  forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do.'  Though  his  sermons  had  no  allusion,  not  the  slightest, 
to  the  parish  trouble,  they  were  thought  to  apply  admirably." 

These  methods  used  by  the  ojiponents  of  Mr.  Codman 
proved  too  violent,  and  many  of  the  opposition  party  went 
over  to  their  pastor's  side.  The  malcontents  soon  agreed 
to  sell  their  pews,  and  to  retire  from  the  parish.  This  left 
Mr.  Codman  perfectly  free  on  the  subject  of  exchanges, 
as  the  parish  now  voted  that,  — 

"As  it  is  the  important  privilege  of  the  Christian  minister  to 
regulate  his  exchanges  with  his  brethren  according  to  the  unbi- 
assed dictates  of    his  own  mind  and  conscience,  we  think  it 


1S13.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  259 

expedient  that  the  parish  should  agree  that  Mr.  Codmau  should 
not  be  confined  in  his  exchanges,  the  advice  of  any  council  or 
member  thereof  notwithstanding ;  as  the  advice  that  was  given 
was  upon  the  expectation  that  the  disaffected  were  to  continue 
active  members  of  the  parish,  which  is  not  now  the  case,  and 
that  the  exercises  of  this  privilege  shall  not  again  be  made  the 
subject  of  complaint  before  an  ecclesiastical  council  in  this 
parish. " 

Mr.  Coclman  and  his  friends  purchased  the  pews  of  all 
who  wished  to  sell  them,  on  the  condition  that  the  owners 
would  agree  to  withdi-aw  from  the  parish,  promising  not  to 
interfere  with  its  proceedings  thereafter.  Thus  the  contro- 
versy came  to  an  end.  The  seceders,  in  1813,  built  a  new 
meeting-house,  and  became  a  distinct  Unitarian  parish, 
under  the  name  of  the  "  Third  Religious  Society."  The 
subsequent  years  of  the  Second  Parish  were  marked  by 
remarkable  harmony  and  prosperity.  In  1827  fifty-four, 
in  1840  tliirty-tliree,  and  in  1842  tliirty-five  were  added  to 
the  Church  upon  profession  of  faith.  In  1829  twenty-one 
members  were  dismissed,  and  formed  into  a  new  church  in 
the  south  part  of  the  town,  which  took  the  name  of  the 
Village  Church. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  1847,  Dr.  Codman  died,  after 
an  illness  of  a  few  weeks,  in  the  sixty-sixth  year  of  his 
age  and  the  fortieth  of  his  ministry.  Of  those  who  were 
connected  with  the  Church  at  his  ordination  only  eleven 
remained  at  the  time  of  his  deatli.  Rev.  Dr.  Storrs,  of 
Braintree,  a  life-long  friend  of  Mr.  Codman,  preached  the 
funeral  sermon,  in  which  he  gives  the  following  delinea- 
tion of  his  character.  After  speaking  of  the  wisdom  and 
heroism  manifested  during  the  ecclesiastical  controversy 
at  the  outset  of  his  ministry,  he  says  :  — 

"  Through  the  whole  of  his  remaining  days  his  course  exhi- 
bited a  bright  pattern  of  pastoral  fidelity  in  the  services  of  the 
pulpit,  the  lecture  room,  the  prayer  meeting,  at  the  bedside  of 
the  sick  and  dying,  in  the  cottage  of  the  poor,  and  the  man- 


260  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1847. 

sion  of  the  opulent.  ...  On  the  broader  fields  of  ministe- 
rial labor,  his  calls  were  multiplied  almost  beyond  a  parallel  -, 
few  ecclesiastical  councils  have  been  concerned,  within  a  wide 
region  around,  of  which  he  was  not  a  chosen  member,  and  com- 
monly the  presiding  officer.  His  uniform  urbanity  of  manners, 
the  well-known  tenderness  of  his  heart,  his  quick  discernment  of 
the  right  and  the  wrong,  the  promptness  with  which  he  accepted, 
and  the  facility  with  which  he  performed,  every  duty  assigned 
him,  inspired  universal  confidence.  Few  men  have  so  rarely 
erred  in  judgment,  and  fewer  still  have  found  their  decisions  so 
justly  appreciated ;  while  to  none  has  been  so  freely  accorded, 
at  all  times,  the  high  praise  of  just  and  unprejudiced  attention 
to  the  business  before  him. 

"  His  warm  devotion  to  the  prosperity  of  Zion,  and  his 
known  liberality  in  the  use  of  his  ample  means  for  extending 
her  boundaries,  brought  him,  of  course,  into  close  communion 
with  the  various  benevolent  associations  of  our  age  and  coun- 
try. AVhat  enterprise  of  benevolence  has  ever  urged  a  just 
claim  on  the  advocacy  and  pecuniary  support  of  the  Church 
that  met  not  a  cordial  response  from  him?  What  association 
of  unquestionable  character  enrolls  not  his  name  among  its  bene- 
factors and  its  elected  or  honorary  members?  And  where  is 
the  man  who  has  poured  forth  more  freely  and  acceptably  the 
strains  of  eloquence  and  faith  and  prayer  in  the  annual  convo- 
cations of  those  who  labor  for  the  world's  conversion?  Of  his 
private  charities,  no  account  is  kept  in  human  records,  for  even 
his  right  hand  knew  not  what  his  left  hand  did ;  but  that  they 
were  abundant  and  free,  ten  thousand  witnesses  on  earth  can 
testify,  and  the  opened  books  of  heaven  will  hereafter  declare." 

The  story  is  told  that  one  day,  while  Dr.  Codman's  con- 
troversy with  the  Church  was  at  its  heiglit,  and  he  was 
almost  undecided  whether  to  withstand  the  opposition  or 
to  resign,  it  was  announced  to  him  that  a  large  number  of 
little  children  were  slowly  and  silently  approaching  his 
house  in  procession.  Not  knowing  what  had  brought  them 
there,  and  not  suspecting  with  what  intent  they  had  come, 
he  rose  and  hastily  met  them  at  the  door  in  a  kind  and 


1848.] 


DOKCHESTER   CHUECHES.  263 


happy  manner.  Dr.  Codman  was,  however,  completely 
overcome  when  one  after  another,  and  finally  all  with 
united  voices,  declared  that  they  had  come  to  entreat  their 
dear  and  beloved  pastor  not  to  leave  them,  the  lambs  of 
the  flock,  and  their  afflicted  parents  as  sheep  without  a 
shepherd. 

"  Though  I  at  once  supposed,"  said  Dr.  Codman,  as  he 
related  tliis  incident  on  one  occasion,  "  that  they  had  been 
sent  by  their  parents,  I  could  not  help  referring  the  whole 
to  the  providence  of  God.  Nothing  could  have  operated 
more  powerfully  to  cheer  my  drooping  spirits  and  animate 
my  hopes  of  final  success  than  this  simple  incident." 

The  Second  Parish  also  enjoyed  long  pastorates.  Before 
liis  last  illness  Dr.  Codman  had  secured  the  assistance  of 
the  Rev.  James  H.  Means,  who  entered  upon  his  duties  on 
the  last  Sabbath  in  which  Dr.  Codman  preached,  and  was 
ordained  and  installed  as  the  second  jjastor  of  the  Church 
July  13,  1848.  His  pastorate  continued  for  over  thirty 
years  of  uninterrupted  prosperity ;  so  that  the  Church  has 
the  remarkable  record  of  ha\'ing  had  but  two  pastors  in 
seventy  years.  In  1864,  exhausted  with  labor,  Dr.  Means 
endeavored  to  lay  down  his  work ;  but  the  people  gener- 
ously insisted  upon  his  taking  an  extended  vacation, 
during  which,  for  twelve  months,  they  enjoyed  the  ser- 
vices of  the  Rev.  James  G.  Vose,  D.D.,  now  of  Providence. 
In  the  autumn  of  1878  Dr.  Means  was  constrained,  by 
impaii'ed  health,  to  tender  his  resignation,  which  was 
accepted  with  great  reluctance  and  abundant  expressions 
of  affection  and  confidence.  Dr.  Means  is  now  living,  on 
Washington  Street,  near  the  scene  of  his  labors,  the  con- 
stant recipient  of  tokens  of  love  and  appreciation  from  the 
people  he  served  so  faithfully  for  so  long  a  time. 

During  the  Civil  War,  from  the  congregation  at  large 
thirty-six  enlisted  in  the  army,  of  whom  seven  were  church- 
members;   and  ten  were  killed,  or  died  as  the  result  of 


264 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


[1878. 


Tlie  successor  of  Dr.  Means  was  the  Rev.  Edward  N. 
Packard,  of  Evanston,  111.  He  was  installed  as  pastor  on 
the  eighth  of  Aj^ril,  1879,  and  resigned  in  1887  to  accept 
a  call  to  the  Plymouth  Church,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.  The  Rev. 
Arthur  Little,  D.D.,  the  present  pastor,  was  installed  .Jan- 
uary 30,  1889. 

The  deacons  of  the  Church  have  been  as  follows :  — 


Stephen  Badlam  .     . 

1808-1815 

Josiah  C.  Vinton  . 

1857-1861 

Ebenezer  Withington    1808-1815 

Joseph  Clapp  .     . 

1846-1879 

Joseph  Clap     .     . 

1808-1852 

James  C.  Sharp    . 

1857- 

William  Hitchings 

1816-1833 

Elbridge  Torrey  . 

1868- 

Samuel  Capen  .     . 

1816-1830 

Ellis  Houghton     . 

1875- 

Isaac  Howe      .     . 

18-28-1838 

Elijah  Cutler    .     . 

1875- 

Charles  Howe  .     . 

1832-1869 

Laurin  A.  Bumpus 

1891- 

Edward  Sharp .     . 

1839-1856 

John  W.  Field     . 

1891- 

Kufus  Howe     .     . 

1839-1845 

On  January  6,  1878,  the  Second  Church  celebrated  its 
seventieth  anniversaiy.  The  pastor,  Dr.  James  H.  Means, 
preached  an  able  historical  sermon,  Avhich  has  since 
been  published  in  pamphlet  form.  The  feature  of  the 
occasion  was  the  presentation  by  the  First  Church  of  two 
ancient  Communion  cups,  showing  the  delightful  relations 
which  have  ever  existed  between  the  two  societies.  The 
correspondence  in  connection  with  the  event  is  as  follows : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  First  Church  in  Dorchester,  held  No- 
vember 4th,  1877,  the  following  resolution  was  unanimously 
passed,  viz. : 

"  Resolved,  That  this  church  present  to  the  Second  Church  in  Dor- 
chester, on  the  first  day  of  January  next,  the  seventieth  anniversary 
of  its  gathering,  two  Communion  cups,  as  a  token  of  our  regard;  and 
that  they  be  accompanied  by  a  letter,  signed  by  the  pastor  and  deacons, 
in  the  name  of  the  Church." 

In  conformity  to  the  above  resolutions,  we  present,  with 
this  letter,  two  of  our  most  ancient  Communion  cups,  —  not  for 
their  intrinsic  metalhc  vakie,  but  for  the  history  tbey  represent ; 
the  ancient  and  tender  fellowship  they  suggest,  and  the  fraternal 
spirit  which  they  convey. 


1878.] 


DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  265 


The  founders  of  your  Church,  and  generations  before  them, 
partook  from  these  sacred  vessels.  They  were  familiar  to  their 
sight,  and  dear  to  their  memory,  and,  we  feel  confident,  will  not 
be  less  dear  to  the  sight  and  memory  of  their  children ;  and, 
that  your  association  with  them  may  be  as  intimate  as  our  own, 
■we  subjoin  such  facts  as  we  have  been  able  to  gather  in  regard 
to  the  cups  and  their  original  donors. 

One  of  these  vessels,  lettered  "For  the  Church,  M.  T.,"  is 
so  ancient  that  its  origin  cannot  now  be  traced ;  neither  could 
it  be  by  the  eminent  church  historian  of  a  hundred  years  ago. 
This  fact  suggests  the  thought  that  it  may  have  been  brought 
by  the  Church  on  its  embarkation  from  England,  and  possibly 
-was  the  cup,  and  the  only  one  used  in  its  first  communion  ser- 
vice after  "that  great  ship,  the  'Mary  and  John,'  had  laid  its 
precious  charge  within  the  rude  lap  of  these  Western  shores." ' 
The  other  vessel  was  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Clement,  widow 
of  Augustus  Clement.  They  sailed  ;from  Southampton  to  New 
England  in  the  ship  "James,"  of  London,  in  April,  163.5;  they 
joined  the  Church  in  Dorchester  in  1636  ;  removed  to  Boston  in 
1652,  but  subsequently  returned  to  Dorchester,  where  Mr. 
Clement  died  October  1,  1674.  His  widow,  Elizabeth,  pre- 
sented the  cup  to  the  church  in  1678,  two  centuries  ago. 

The  separation  from  the  First  Church  to  establish  a  second 
did  not  arise  fi'om  any  alienation,  but  was  a  matter  of  necessity, 
the  congregation  having  outgrown  its  meeting-house.  Your 
own  church  edifice,  as  you  are  aware,  was  dedicated  on  Thurs- 
day, October  30,  1806,  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris,  the  pas- 
tor of  the  First  Church,  and  then  the  only  minister  in  the  town, 
preaching  the  dedication  sermon  from  Acts  ii.  42 :  '  They  con- 

1  Since  this  time  it  has  been  shown  (William  B.  Trask:  New  Eng.  Hist. 
Gen.  Reg.,  vol.  xl.  p.  258)  that  this  cup  was  given  to  the  First  Church  by 
Mrs.  Margaret  Tliacher,  the  letters,  "  M.  T.,"  standing  for  her  initials.  The 
following  entries  on  the  Church  Records  refer  to  it:  "April  6,  1709.  The 
church  hath  Nine  Pieces  of  Plate  for  y*  sacram'  (2  Given  by  s''  m'  Stoughton 
2  by  m'  Thomas  Lake,  one  by  ni"  Thacher,  one  by  m'  Isaac  Jones,  one  by 
ra"  Patten,  one  by  m'  John  Gingen,  one  by  Anoth'  hand,  all  of  Silver." 

"  6  of  January  1679,  Also  M"  Thecher  of  Boston  gaue  y*  Church  for- 
merly a  Silver  Cup  with  two  ears." 

Mrs.  Thacher  was  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Thacher,  first  minister 
of  the  Old  South  Church,  in  Boston. 

15 


266  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1878. 

tinued  steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  doctrine  and  fellowship,  and 
in  breaking  of  bread  and  in  prayers.'  The  whole  Church  met 
together  for  their  last  communion  service  on  the  following  Sun- 
day, November  2.  Dr.  Harris  preached  from  1  Cor.  x.  17: 
"  We,  being  many,  are  one  bread  and  one  body ;  for  we  are  all 
partakers  of  that  one  bread."  It  was  a  communion  of  mingled 
joy  and  sadness,  —  sad,  that  they  had  met  together  for  the  last 
time  in  that  old  house  of  their  worship,  their  reverence,  and 
their  love,  to  them  the  "  very  house  of  God,  and  gate  of 
heaven ;  "  joy,  that  another  house,  beautiful  and  comfortable, 
awaited  their  coming. 

On  that  occasion  Dr.  Harris  concluded  as  follows  :  — 

"  Finally,  Christians,  we  are  now  to  commune  together  at  the  table 
of  the  Lord,  and  to  repeat  there  our  vows  of  fidelity  to  Him,  and  of  love 
to  each  other.  May  we  thus  acquire  some  pleasing  conceptions  of  that 
heaven  of  love  and  peace  and  glory,  where  one  temple  will  contain  the 
large  assembly ;  one  love  engage  all  their  affections ;  and  one  anthem 
of  praise  tune  all  their  voices." 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day  he  preached  in  your 
meeting-house  the  first  sermon  after  its  dedication,  from  P^phe- 
sians  ii.  17,  18,  and  closed  as  follows:  "Be  perfect,  be  of 
good  comfort,  be  of  one  mind,  live  in  peace  ;  and  may  the  God 
of  love  and  peace  be  with  you." 

Although  the  whole  Church  assembled  together  for  the  last 
time  on  November  2,  180G,  it  was  the  latter  part  of  1807 
before  dismission  was  asked  to  form  a  second.  It  was  granted 
December  21,  1807,  when  sixty-four  took  their  leave,  with  an 
affectionate  parting  address,  which  was  answered  by  one  equally 
kind  and  courteous ;  and  your  Church  was  gathered  January  1, 
1808.  Of  all  who  left  the  First  Church,  and  of  those  that 
remained,  and  of  ministers  and  delegates  who  took  part  in  your 
church-gathering,  but  one  survives ;  the  Great  Shepherd  has 
gathered  them,  pastors  and  people,  into  His  all-embracing  fold. 
Many  of  both  churches  have  reached  the  age  of  three-score 
years  and  ten,  and,  with  the  surviving  sister  by  whose  hand  we 
send  this  letter, 

"Walk  thoughtful 
On  the  silent,  solemn  shore 
Of  that  vast  ocean 
We  must  sail  so  soon." 


1878  ]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  267 

"Grace,  mercy  and  peace,"  and  abundant  prosperity  to 
pastor,  brethi-en,  and  sisters  of  the  Second  Church.  We  reit- 
erate, in  the  name  of  the  First  Church,  its  parting  address 
at  your  own  church-gathering,  which  closed  as  follows  :  — 

"  Finally,  brethren  and  sisters,  accept  the  benediction  we  pronounce 
with  pious  application  to  Heaven  in  your  behalf ;  and  may  the  God  of 
Grace,  who  hath  called  us  into  His  eternal  kingdom  and  glory  by  Jesus 
Christ,  assist,  establish,  and  settle  you ;  and  in  whatever  respect  we  may 
be  separate  on  earth,  may  you  and  we  be  joint  members  of  the  church 
of  the  first  born,  whose  names  are  written  in  heaven," 

S.  J.  Barrows,  Pastor  of  First  Church. 

Henry  Humphreys,  )     ^ 

'  y  Deacons. 
Ebenr.  Clapp,  > 

Respectfully  communicated  to  the  Second  Church  of  Dor- 
chester, by  the  pastor,  deacons,  and  Sister  Abigail  Upham,  of 
the  First  Church. 

Dorchester,  December  17,  1877. 

To  this  the  following  answer  was  returned :  — 

.January  4,  1878. 
To  the  First  Church  in  Dorchester —  Greeting: 

It  gives  great  pleasure  to  communicate  to  you  the  following 
votes,  unanimously  adopted  by  the  Second  Church,  at  their 
meeting  this  day  :  — 

'■'■Whereas,  The  First  Church  in  Dorchester  has  most  kindly 
presented  two  ancient  Communiou  cups  to  this  Church,  on  the 
occasion  of  the  seventieth  anniversary  of  its  formation  ;  there- 
fore, — 

"  Voted,  That  the  Second  Church  gratefully  receive  this  valu- 
able gift ;  that  the  cups  be  suitably  inscribed ;  and  that  the 
letter  of  the  pastor  and  deacons  of  the  First  Church  accom- 
panying them  be  entered  on  the  records  of  this  Church. 

'■'■Voted,  That  the  following  communication,  with  the  vote 
recorded  above,  be  sent  to  the  donors,  in  the  name  of  the  Sec- 
ond Church,  signed  by  its  officers  :  — 

"  The  Second  Church  in  Dorchester  has  received  with  much  pleasure 
and  gratitude,  the  Communion  cups  presented  by  the  First  Church,  in 
token  of  their  regard  and  good-will.     These  articles,  valuable  in  them- 


268  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1813. 

selves,  arc  still  more  so  for  the  hallowed  associations  connected  with 
them,  and  the  kind  feelings  with  which  they  are  tendered.  From  this 
time  they  will  be  constantly  used  by  us. 

"Wo  desire  to  cherish  all  the  sacred  memories  of  the  past;  to 
remember  that  we  sprang,  not  by  dissent,  but  by  friendly  separation, 
from  a  Church  ancient  and  honored  ;  and  to  express  in  the  act  of  receiv- 
ing these  cups,  our  hope  that  the  kind  feelings  now  e.xisting  between  the 
churches  may  long  continue." 

It  was  very  gratifying  tliat  tliis  gift  was  transmitted 
througli  the  hands  of  our  venerable  sister,  Mrs.  Upham,  the 
sole  sun'ivor  of  those  who  were  banded  togetlier  in  Ciirist, 
seventy  years  ago. 

Cordially   reciprocating    all    expressions    of    good-will,   and 

wishing  you  grace,  mercy,  and  peace,  we  are  iu  behalf  of  the 

Second  Chui-cli,  t    tr    t\t  r>    . 

J.  H.  Means,  Pastor. 

Joseph  Clapp, 

James  C.  Sharp, 

Elbridge  Torre y,  y  Deacons. 

Ellis  Houghton, 

Elijah  Cutler, 

As  we  have  seen  on  a  preceding  page,  the  formation  of 
the  Third  Religious  Society  was  the  result  of  the  rupture 
between  a  portion  of  the  congregation  of  the  Second 
Church  and  their  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Codman.  When 
the  separation  had  been  iinally  determined  upon,  steps 
were  taken  for  the  formation  of  a  new  society  and  the 
erection  of  a  church  edifice.  The  first  recorded  meeting, 
at  which  action  was  taken,  was  held  on  May  6,  1813,  in 
what  was  known  as  the  "Dorchester  Reading-Room." 
This  was  a  back  room  in  a  building  in  the  front  of  which 
was  a  barber-shop.  It  had  been  furnished  as  a  reading- 
room,  and  was  kept  as  a  place  of  resort  and  reading  for 
the  peoi^le  of  tliis  vicinity,  being  situated  near  the  end 
of  Dorchester  Avenue.  At  this  meeting  the  plan  of  the 
new  organization  was  decided  upon  ;  and  forty-five  shares 
were  offered  for  sale,  which  were  subscribed  for  by  those 


1813.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  269 

present,  each  subscriber  agreeing  to  take  one  pew.  A 
committee  was  apjjointed  to  engage  a  builder  to  erect  the 
church. 

Deacon  James  C.  Sharp,  of  the  Second  Church,  relates 
the  following  anecdote  in  reference  to  the  fitting  up  of 
the  church :  — 

"  When  the  Second  Church  was  built,  the  ladies  wished  to 
place  a  curtain  over  the  window  behind  the  pulpit.  In  planuiug 
for  one  that  would  be  suitable,  they  remembered  to  have  heard 
that  a  Mr.  Welles,  in  the  neighborhood,  had  in  his  possession  a 
rich  silk  damask  dress,  which  had  been  the  property  of  one  of 
his  ancestors,  and  had  seldom  been  worn.  It  was  very  large, 
the  skirt  being  two  yards  in  diameter,  and  having  a  train  so 
long  and  heavy  as  to  require  a  colored  boy  to  accompany  the 
wearer  and  carry  it  when  she  wore  it.  This  skirt  they  asked 
for  and  obtained,  and  with  it  made  a  most  beautiful  drapery  for 
the  back  of  the  pulpit.  When  the  Third  Church  was  built  (Dr. 
Richmond's)  the  ladies  of  this  parish  also  wanted  a  curtain  for 
a  similar  purpose ;  and,  rememliering  that  the  damask  dress  had 
not  all  been  used  before,  asked  for  and  obtained  what  was  left 
for  their  pulpit  curtain.  Thus  the  pulpits  of  the  two  churches, 
which  had  lately  separated  in  strife,  were  adorned  by  the  same 
rich  dress.  This  story  is  questioned  by  some,  since  it  is 
affirmed  that  the  Third  Church  pulpit  was  adorned  by  a  curtain 
much  less  elegant.  But  I  like  to  think  of  it  as  true ;  and  I  like 
to  think  that  when  both  churches  were  through  with  their  cur- 
tains the  two  parts  of  the  garment  were  reunited,  and  made  into 
a  mantle  of  charity,  to  hide,  not  our  differences  of  opinion,  — 
we  should  never  wish  to  hide  them,  —  but  all  personal  differ- 
ences and  hardness  of  feeling,  and  bind  us  more  closely  into 
one  family  of  God." 

At  a  second  meeting,  held  on  August  23,  1813,  the 
members  of  the  new  society  called  themselves  "  The  Pro- 
prietors of  the  New  South  Meeting-House."  The  Second 
Church  was  known  as  "  The  South  Meeting-House,"  and 
the  Third  was  now  called  "  The  New  South."  On  the 
cover  of  the  Parish  Record  Book  is  printed,  "  Dorchester 


270  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1813. 

New  South  Meeting-House ; "  and  on  the  Church  Record 
Book  is  the  hxbel,  "  Dorchester  South  Church."  The  new 
enterprise  received  several  other  names  at  various  times, 
being  called  by  oue  or  another  indifferently,  which  indi- 
cates that  the  founders  were  much  more  intent  upon  the 
formation  of  the  church  than  upon  choosing  a  name.  The 
fuial  and  legal  names  settled  upon  are,  "  The  Third  Reli- 
gious Society  in  Dorchester,"  and  "  The  Third  Church  in 
Dorchester." 

The  church  building  was  pushed  forward  rapidly.  The 
meeting  at  which  it  was  resolved  to  build  was  held,  as  has 
been  said,  on  the  6th  of  May.  On  the  1st  of  June  the 
ground  was  broken,  and  work  began ;  on  Monday,  the 
28th  of  June,  the  timbers  were  raised  to  their  places ;  and 
on  Wednesday,  October  6,  just  five  months  from  the  first 
meeting,  the  church  was  completed,  and  deilicated  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Boston  Association  of  Ministers,  Dr. 
Lathrop  preacliing  the  sermon. 

The  formation  of  this  new  society  caused  a  comj)licated 
question  to  arise  as  to  the  division  of  the  income  derived 
from  certain  sources.  It  will  be  remembered  that  when 
first  organized  by  the  early  settlers,  the  Church  was  con- 
sidered to  be  a  part  of  the  town  government,  and  the 
pastor's  salary  and  other  church  expenses  were  paid  out 
of  the  treasury  of  the  town.  In  order  to  make  the  sup- 
port of  the  Church  more  certain,  lands  were  set  apart 
whose  income  was  to  belong  to  it.  This  proj^erty  was  at 
fii'st  of  little  value ,  but  together  with  the  additions  re- 
sulting from  bequests  left  the  town  for  the  purpose,  and 
the  natural  appreciation  of  property,  at  the  time  of  the 
formation  of  the  Third  Religious  Society  the  income  was 
considerable. 

Until  1806  there  had  been  no  difficulty  in  appropriating 
this  income,  as  there  had  been  but  one  church.  After  the 
formation  of  the  Second  Church,  however,  the  proceeds  of 
the  rent  lands  and  the  income  from  invested  funds  were 


1817.]  DOKCHESTER   CHURCHES.  271 

divided  anrmally  by  the  town  between  the  Fii-st  and 
Second  churches,  according  to  their  membership;  and 
when  the  Third  Religious  Society  was  formed,  it  was 
tlivided  among  the  tlii-ee  Churches  in  the  same  manner. 
Thus  the  town  was  the  custodian  of  the  parish  property. 
As  times  changed,  and  the  relation  between  Church  and 
State  became  less  close,  the  possession  of  this  property 
became  less  agreeable  to  the  town.  It  seemed  best  to  all 
concerned  that  it  should  be  made  over  to  the  Churches, 
for  whose  benefit  it  was  given ;  but  the  question  arose  to 
what  church  or  churches  it  belonged.  It  could  only  be 
given  legally  to  that  organization  for  which  it  was  origi- 
nally intended,  —  namely,  the  First  Church.  It  was  theirs 
by  technical  right,  but  they  did  not  consider  that  it  be- 
longed to  them  by  moral  right.  The  First  Church  there- 
fore asked  for  a  joint  committee,  to  be  formed  by  delegates 
from  the  First,  Second,  and  Tliird  churches,  to  divide 
this  property  as  equitably  as  possible  among  the  three 
societies.  The  committee  was  formed  in  1824,  and  de- 
cided to  divide  the  whole  ministerial  property  into  four 
equal  parts,  giving  two  parts  to  the  First  Parish,  on 
Meeting-House  Hill,  one  part  to  the  Second  Church,  Dr. 
Codman's,  and  one  to  the  Third  Parish.  The  income  from 
the  property  put  apart  by  the  early  settlers  is  still  enjoyed 
by  these  churches. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  Tliird  Chui-ch  was  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Edward  Richmond,  who  was  installed  on  June  25,  1817. 
He  was  born  June  29,  1767,  and  was  graduated  from 
Brown  University  in  1789.  Previous  to  his  call  to  the 
Dorchester  Church  he  had  served  a  pastorate  of  twenty- 
three  years  in  Stoughton. 

He  is  described  by  one  who  knew  him  as  "  a  finished 
gentleman,"  and  by  another  as  "  a  staid,  dignified  gentle- 
man of  the  old  school."  Dr.  Ezra  S.  Gannett,  in  his 
"  Memories  of  the  Early  Ministers,"  speaks  of  "  Dr.  Rich- 
mond, gentle,  urbane,  modest."     His  studious  habits,  his 


272  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1833. 

thoughtful  and  dignified  manner,  and  his  sense  of  the  im- 
portance of  his  mission  among  men,  gave  to  some  the 
impression  of  a  severe,  reserved,  and  even  ungenial  man. 
He  was  an  able  sermon-writer,  but  he  was  not  good  at 
extemporaneous  sijeech ;  and  even  liis  prayers  are  said  to 
have  been  stereotyped.  It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion, 
when  there  was  danger  of  cholera,  he  inserted  a  petition 
"that  we  be  spared  fi-om  this  terrible  scourge."  The 
congregation,  amazed  at  the  fresh  sentence,  lifted  their 
bowed  heads  and  saw  that  he  read  it  from  a  written 
record ! 

The  relations  between  Dr.  Riclmiond  and  Dr.  Codman 
were  natm-ally  somewhat  strained  at  first,  owing  to  the 
recent  unpleasant  incidents ;  but  it  was  not  long  before 
they  became  friends.  It  is  said  that  a  very  slight  incident 
served  to  bring  them  together.  Dr.  Cochnan  failed  to  re- 
ceive his  paper  one  morning,  and  being  very  dependent 
upon  it,  sent  his  son  to  Dr.  Richmond  to  borrow  his  copy 
after  he  had  read  it.  Dr.  Richmond  resjjonded  so  quickly 
and  pleasantly  that  the  ice  was  broken  between  them,  and 
they  continued  on  the  best  of  terms. 

In  1833  declining  health  made  it  necessary  for  Dr. 
Richmond  to  resign.  Soon  after  he  removed  Ids  residence 
to  Weymouth,  wliere  he  died  April  10,  1842. 

For  nearly  a  year  after  Dr.  Richmond's  resignation,  the 
parish  had  no  settled  minister.  In  1834,  however,  the 
Rev.  Francis  Cunningham  was  chosen.  He  was  born 
March  9,  1804,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard  Col- 
lege in  1825.  It  was  during  his  ministry  that  the 
present  church  structure  of  the  society  was  erected.  Mr. 
Cunningham  resigned  June  1,  1842,  passing  much  of 
his  later  life  in  travel.  He  died  September  7,  1867. 
The  parish,  in  accepting  his  resignation,  declared  that 
they  would  ever  remember  his  "talents,  learning,  and 
virtues,  and  bear  testimony  to  the  fidelity  with  which 
he  discharged  his  duties."      He  is  also  spoken  of  as  "a 


1863.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  275 

thoughtful  schoLar.,  a  kind  neighbor,  a  courteous  Cluistian 
gentleman." 

The  Rev.  Richard  Pike  was  Mr.  Cunningham's  suc- 
cessor. He  was  born  June  6,  1813,  was  graduated  from 
Bowdoin  College  in  1836,  and  was  ordained  pastor  of  the 
Dorchester  Church  on  February  8,  1842.  His  pastorate 
extended  over  twenty  years,  during  which  period  he  en- 
deared himself  to  his  ijeojjle  by  his  tireless  labors  in  their 
behalf.  He  taxed  liis  limited  strength  too  much,  however, 
not  only  in  his  parish  duties,  but  in  town  affairs,  being 
especially  interested  in  the  schools,  and  serving  upon  the 
school  committee  for  many  years.  Gradually  his  health 
failed,  until  in  1863  he  died,  sincerely  mourned  by  lus 
parishioners. 

The  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall,  Jr.,  of  the  First  Church, 
preached  Mr.  Pike's  funeral  sermon,  in  which  he  said :  — 

"  His  public  ministrations  were  impressive  through  the  evi- 
dence they  bore  that  his  heart  was  in  them.  His  discourses 
may  have  lacked  the  attractions  of  a  studied  rhetoric,  for  which 
he  had  no  taste,  if  he  had  the  gift,  which  he  was  too  much  in 
earnest  to  seek  or  care  for ;  but  they  were  scholarly  in  style  and 
spiritual  in  tone.  His  mind  was  naturally  of  a  metaphysical 
cast,  leading  him  to  an  appreciative  interest  in  the  deeper  theo- 
logical discussions  of  the  day ;  and  although  this  did  not 
appear  with  any  prominence  in  his  discourses,  it  may  have 
given  them,  as  a  whole,  a  less  practical  character  than  the 
many  would  desire." 

On  March  2,  1864,  the  Rev.  Thomas  G.  Mumford  was 
installed.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual  abilities,  filling  with 
equal  satisfaction  the  positions  •  of  writer,  citizen,  editor, 
and  pastor.  His  pastorate  lasted  for  eight  years,  when  he 
resigned  to  take  charge  of  the  "  Cluistian  Register."  Mr. 
Mumford  occupied  an  important  place  in  even  wider  circles 
than  the  community;  and  his  loss  was  severely  felt  when 
he  died,  August  29,  1877. 

The  next  pastor  of  the  Third  Church  was  the  Rev.  Henry 


276  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1816. 

G.  Spaulding,  who  was  installed  October  2,  1873.  He 
resigned  after  a  short  ministry  of  less  than  four  years,  and 
later  became  the  Secretary  of  the  Unitarian  Sunday-School 
Society,  —  a  position  which  lie  has  since  relinquished. 

Of  the  successors  of  Mr.  Spaulding,  the  Rev.  George  M. 
Bodge  was  ordained  September  26,  1878,  and  resigned 
October  31,  1884 ;  and  the  Rev.  W.  I.  Lawrance  was 
installed  October  1,  1885,  resigned  in  1891.  During  his 
ministry,  on  May  6  and  7,  1888,  the  seventy-fifth  anni- 
versary of  the  society  was  celebrated;  and  it  is  from 
sermons  preached  by  Mr.  Lawrance  on  tliis  occasion  that 
much  of  the  preceding  matter  is  taken.  The  present 
pastor  is  the  Rev.  Frederick  B.  Mott,  who  was  installed 
February  7,  1892. 

The  Dorchester  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  is 
known  in  the  history  of  the  town  as  the  Fourth  Parish, 
was  organized  in  1816.  Previous  to  this  time  several 
people  had  met  at  the  house  of  Anthony  Otherman ;  and 
the  interest  manifested  at  these  meetings  resulted  in  the 
permanent  establishment  of  the  society.  During  this 
period  the  preaching  was  usually  on  week-day  evenings. 

The  growth  of  the  society  was  slow,  and  it  was  kept 
together  chiefly  through  the  exertions  of  Mr.  Otherman. 
He  is  still  remembered  by  some  of  the  oldest  residents  of 
the  town,  being  one  of  the  last  to  put  aside  the  old- 
fashioned  dress,  consisting  of  the  cocked  hat  and  short 
clothes.  The  first  house  of  worship  was  a  carpenter  shop, 
which  was  remodelled  in  1818,  Bishop  Hedding  preaching 
the  decUcation  sermon.  This  building  was  situated  on 
Washington  Street,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north  from 
Milton  Bridge,  and  was  twenty  by  twenty-seven  feet, 
having  a  door  opening  directly  into  the  audience-room. 
Opposite  the  door  was  a  small  circular  door,  and  a  centre 
aisle  had  benches  on  either  side.  A  gallery  ran  around 
thi-ee  sides  of  the  house. 


1837.]  DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  277 

The  first  minister  to  take  charge  of  tliis  little  flock  was 
William  Granville,  who  divided  his  time  between  his 
occupation  of  glass-blowing  and  preaching;  but  he  later 
devoted  his  entire  time  to  the  ministry.  At  the  close  of 
the  year  1818  the  Church  numbered  nineteen  members, 
who  held  their  meetings  under  diiSculties,  and  in  spite  of 
discouraging  opposition. 

By  1829,  however,  the  society  had  gained  a  strong  foot- 
hold, and  the  increased  number  of  members  made  it  neces- 
sary to  erect  a  larger  edifice.  This  building  was  used  until 
1875,  when  the  present  commodious  structure  replaced  it. 
In  striking  contrast  to  other  Dorchester  churches,  this 
society,  following  the  Methodist  custom,  has  been  served 
by  a  large  number  of  ministers.  The  parish  is  now  in  a 
flourishing  condition,  and  is  under  the  charge  of  the  Rev. 
G.  A.  Phinney.  In  1892  the  society  celebrated  its  seventy- 
fifth  anniversary  with  appropriate  and  interesting  exercises. 

On  June  7, 1837,  the  First  Baptist  Society  in  Dorchester 
was  constitiited  in  Neponset  Hall,  Joshua  Gushing  and 
Deacon  Jacob  Flinn  being  the  pillars  of  the  new  church 
during  its  early  days.  During  the  following  year  the  fu\st 
meeting-house  of  the  society  was  erected  on  Chickatawbut 
Street,  which  was  afterwards  enlarged  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  increased  number  of  worshippers. 

The  pastors  and  deacons  of  the  church  have  been  as 
follows :  — 

Rev.  Bradley  Miner,  ordained  August,  1837,  resigned  January,  184G. 
Rev.  Humphrey  Richards,   ordained  July,  1846,  resigned   September, 

1854. 
Rev.  Brainard  W.   Barrows,  ordained   j\lay,    1855,  resigned  January, 

1873. 
Rev.  James  F.  Morton,  ordained  March,  1873,  resigned  August,  1874. 
Rev.  Joseph  Banvard,  D.  D.,  ordained  January,  1876,  resigned  April. 

1884. 
Rev.  Nathan  Bailey,  ordained  January,  1889,  resigned  December,  1891. 
Rev.  John  Brainerd  Wilson,  ordained  Julv,  1892. 


278  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1843. 

Pastoral  Supplies,  188^-1889. 
Rev.  Adam  Chambers,  5  months.      Prof.  E.  C.  Mitchell,  D.D.,  15  mos. 
Rev.  J.  n.  Johnstone,  10  months.     Rev.  H.  M.  Dean,  15  months. 

Deacons. 
Jacob  Flynn.  *David  Fales.  Eliajjliaz  W.  Arnold. 

William  Hammond.  Jesse  Lyon.  Z.  K.  Coffin. 

Daniel  Pierce.  Ira  Foster.  J.  W.  MacGregor. 

Charles  E.  Fales.  *James  T.  Murphy. 


On  Sunday,  July  16, 1843,  about  fifty  persons  assembled 
in  the  Town  Hall,  Dorchester,  and  listened  to  an  imi^res- 
sive  sermon  and  service  conducted  by  the  Rev.  John  P. 
Robinson,  the  rector  of  Chi-ist  Church,  Quincy.  This 
public  service  was  in  response  to  an  invitation  extended  to 
Mr.  Robinson  by  several  active  Episcopalians  to  form  an 
Episcopal  church.  The  interest  in  this  service  proved  so 
general  that  it  was  decided  to  hold  Evening  Prayer  at  the 
Town  Hall  every  two  weeks.  Tliis  was  the  fu'st  occasion 
on  wlrich  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  was  publicly  used 
in  Dorchester,  and  was  the  starting-point  of  St.  Mary's 
Church. 

At  the  fu'st  meeting  of  the  vestry  the  clerk  stated  that 
"  Evening  Prayer  was  conducted  in  the  Town  Hall  in 
Dorchester  eight  times  by  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Robinson  and 
once  by  the  Rev.  Darius  R.  Brewer  in  1843,  and  tliree 
times  by  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Robinson  in  1844,  during  wliich 
time  it  was  thought  inexpedient  to  organize  a  jjarish." 

From  that  date  (1844)  until  June,  1847,  it  is  supposed 
that  no  church  services  were  held.  At  any  rate,  no  records 
have  been  preserved.  Among  some  loose  papers  relating 
to  parish  affairs,  the  following,  written  on  a  leaf  torn  from 
a  pocket  blank-book,  has  been  found :  — 

Having  learned  that  the  erection  of  a  church  is  contem- 
plated, on  a  lot  of  land  in  Roxbury,  near  Dorchester,  presented 
by  Mr.  Ralph  Haskins,  I  hereby  signify  my  enthe  approval  of 
the  object,  and  hope  that  it  will  be  carried  vigorously  into 
effect.  [Signed]     Manton  Eastburn. 

Boston,  May  2.3,  1846. 


1847.1  DOKCHESTEK   CHTJKCHES.  279 

lu  spite  of  the  fact  that  several  of  the  wealthy  Episco- 
palians offered  to  donate  land  on  which  to  erect  a  church, 
the  matter  was  delayed  until  August  23,  1847,  when  a 
meeting  was  held  in  Lyceum  Hall  to  consider  the  subject 
of  organization.  On  August  11,  1847,  a  jjetition  for  war- 
rant was  addressed  to  the  Hon.  S.  P.  Loud,  J.  P.,  repre- 
senting that  "  the  signei-s  have  associated  themselves  for 
the  support  and  enjoyment  of  j)ublic  worship,  under  the 
name  of  the  parish  of  St.  Mary's  Church  in  Dorchester," 
and  requesting  that  a  warrant  be  issued  directing  one  of 
their  number  to  notify  "  the  qualified  voters  of  said  parish 
to  meet  at  such  time  and  place  as  may  be  therein  specified 
for  the  piu'jjose  of  legal  organization,  according  to  Chaj^ter 

,    Statute  ,    Commonwealth   of    Massachusetts." 

The  petition  was  signed  by  William  Withington,  Joseph 
Hooper,  Robert  Richardson,  Thomas  Hill,  Edward  Holden, 
and  A.  W.  Hayter. 

At  that  meeting  a  compact,  or  constitution  and  by-laws, 
was  adopted.  Two  wardens  (Hooper  and  Witlungton), 
five  vestrymen,  and  a  treasurer  were  also  chosen ;  and  the 
Rev.  G.  W.  Porter  was  unanimously  elected  rector.  Morn- 
ing Prayer  was  held  for  the  fii'st  time  on  September  26, 
1847,  seventeenth  Sunday  after  Trinity,  on  which  occasion 
Rev.  Dr.  Robinson  apjDcared  in  full  canonicals,  this  being 
the  fii'st  use  of  the  surplice  in  Dorchester.  Owing  to 
unfavorable  weather,  only  twenty  persons  were  present  in 
the  morning  and  thirty-two  in  the  afternoon.  The  average 
attendance  upon  both  morning  and  evening  service  during 
the  first  two  months  was  about  seventy-three.  The  jjarish 
was  admitted  into  union  with  the  Diocesan  Convention  of 
Massachusetts  June  14,  1848. 

It  was  from  Mrs.  Catherine  Dodge  that  the  land  was 
received  on  which  the  church  was  finally  erected.  Sub- 
scription books  were  opened  at  once,  and  the  necessary 
funds  were  soon  obtained.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on 
April  5,  1849,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Manton  Eastburn,  D.  D., 


282  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1872. 

WARDENS. 

Joseph  Hooper,  Senior,  2  years.  Martin    L.    Bradford,   Junior,    10 

Robert  Richardson,  Junior,  2 years.  years;  Senior,  5  years. 

John  P.  Clapp,  Junior,  1  year,  1848;  William  W.  Page,  Junior,  6  years. 

Senior,  36  years.  Daniel   B.    Stedman,   Jr.,    Junior, 

John  II.  Welch,  Junior,  3  years.  13  years;   Senior,  1  year. 

Charles  Stimpson,  Junior,  1  year.  Lucius  P.  Leonard,  Junior,  1  year. 

James  Jenkins,  Junior,  3  years.  Charles  Emery,  Senior,  2  years. 
Albert  A.  Chittenden,  Junior,  7  years. 


Edward  Holden,  4  years.  George  Noyes,  1  year. 

Mark  W.  Sheafe,  3  years.  Samuel  R.  Phillips,  1  year. 

Edward  W.  Howe,  4  years.  William  F.  Jones,  3  years. 

Charles  E.  Stedman,  M.  D.,  2  years.  James  A.  Tyng,  1  year. 

Daniel  Sharp,  2  years.  George  H.  L.  Sharp,  3  years. 

Daniel  B.  Stedman,  Jr.,  5  years.  William  A.  Blanchard,  4  years. 

Henry  A.  Clapp,  5  years.  Joseph  H.  Beale,  Jr.,  2  years. 

Andrew  J.  Smallage,  3  years.  Cieorge  G.  Bradford,  4  years. 

The  clerks  have  also  been  treasurers,  except  Henry  A. 
Clapp,  William  A.  Blanchard,  James  A.  Tyng,  George 
G.  Bradford,  and  George  H.  L.  Sharp,  who  were  not 
treasurers,  and  the  following  who  were  treasurers  but  not 
clerks :  Charles  Emery,  two  years  ;  Albert  A.  Chittenden, 
five  years ;  G.  Herbert  Ida,  one  year ;  Henry  W.  Edwards, 
three  years. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  Dorchester  gave  to  Mas- 
sachusetts her  first  bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Edward  Bass, 
S.T.D.  The  late  Bishop  Phillips  Brooks  was  confirmed 
in  St.  Mary's  Church,  July  27,  1857,  by  Bishop  Eastburn ; 
and  the  first  public  service  performed  by  him  was  in  read- 
ing the  morning  service  there.  Here,  too,  he  administered 
the  aj)ostolic  rite  of  confu'mation  only  a  few  days  before 
his  death. 

The  Catholic  Society,  the  Parish  of  St.  Peter,  was 
formed  in  1872,  with  Father  Peter  Ronan,  the  present 
pastor,  at  tlie  head  of  the   undertaking.      The   land,  on 


1885.] 


DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  283 


which  the  fine  stone  edifice  stands,  was  purchased  from 
Mr.  Williams  at  an  expense  of  about  twelve  thousand 
dollars,  and  was  the  location  of  Captain  John  Percival's 
house,  after  whom  Percival  Avenue  was  named.  The 
building  itself  is  of  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture.  It 
was  erected  at  an  expense  of  one  hundi-ed  and  tliirty 
thousand  dollars,  but  is  now  entirely  free  from  debt.  It 
has  a  rich  panel  ceiling  of  wood,  handsomely  decorated, 
and  the  church  contains  three  marble  altars  of  beautiful 
design.  There  is  a  seating  capacity  of  twenty-five  hun- 
dred; and  the  parish  comprises  some  fifty-five  hundred 
souls.  An  interesting  fact  is  that  the  stone  of  which  the 
church  is  built  was  taken  from  the  lot  on  which  the  edi- 
fice now  stands.  In  1885  a  large  lot  of  land  was  pur- 
chased from  the  late  Nahum  Capen  of  Mt.  Ida,  on  which 
the  present  large  brick  parochial  house  was  erected,  at  an 
expense  of  about  twenty-five  thousand  dollars. 

Father  Ronan  was  ordained  at  St.  Joseph's  Seminary, 
in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  1868,  and  preached  in  New  Bedford  for 
nearly  five  years.  He  then  came  to  Dorchester,  where  he 
has  been  a  very  earnest  and  successful  pastor  since  the 
church  was  established.  The  other  clergymen  associated 
with  him  at  present  are  the  Revs.  Charles  F.  Glennen 
and  Thomas  C.  McGoldrick. 

In  connection  with  the  church  history  of  the  town  it  is 
of  interest  to  glance  at  the  "  Old  Burj-ing-Ground,"  in 
which  reposes  the  dust  of  the  early  fathers.  It  is  situated 
at  the  corner  of  Boston  and  Stoughton  Streets,  and  was 
first  laid  out  in  1634,  five  rods  square.  This  was  not  the 
first  burying-ground,  the  supposition  being  that  an  earlier 
one  existed  around  the  first  meeting-house,  near  the  corner 
of  the  present  Pleasant  and  Cottage  Streets.  It  is,  how- 
ever, one  of  the  oldest  and  most  interesting  in  the  United 
States,  yielding  only  to  Jamestown,  Va.,  in  antiquity  of 
inscriptions.     Its  gravestones  have  frequently  been  con- 


284  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEE.  [1885. 

suited  by  antiquarians  for  historical  and  biograpMcal 
notices,  and  by  the  lovers  of  the  curious  because  of  the 
quaint  inscriptions  to  be  found  thereon.  Several  of  the 
earliest  stones  were  placed  flat  upon  the  ground,  to  pre- 
vent the  wolves  from  devouring  the  bodies  which  lay 
beneath. 

About  1835  Samuel  Dowuer  devoted  much  time  and 
taste  to  improving  the  dilapidated  condition  of  the  monu- 
ments, and  to  cidtivating  ornamental  slu'ubs  and  trees. 
"  The  subscription  to  defray  tlie  expense  of  such  improve- 
ments," says  a  writer  in  1838,  "  in  the  condition  of  this 
place  of  graves,  though  applied  to  '  garnish  the  sejaidchi-es 
of  the  righteous,'  extended  not  to  '  build  again  the  tombs 
of  the  prophets ; '  as  it  was  known  that  of  the  nine  minis- 
ters who,  with  their  flocks,  had  'gone  down  to  the  con- 
gregation of  the  dead,'  there  were  only  two  for  wliom 
monumental  memorials  had  been  raised,  —  namely,  Rev. 
Richard  Mather,  in  1669,  and  Rev.  Josiah  Flint,  in  1680. 
Several  months  ago,  however,  the  descendants  of  the 
Honorable  Moses  Everett  caused  a  tablet  to  be  set  up, 
inscribed  with  liis  name  and  those  of  the  deceased  mem- 
bers of  his  family,  on  wliich  is  mentioned  his  death  in 
1813,  and  that  he  was  in  the  ministry  from  1774  to  1793. 
It  is  also  an  affecting  consideration  that  no  minister  of 
the  town  has  died  in  oiUce  witliin  one  hundred  and  seven 
years."  Since  this  was  written,  tlie  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall, 
Jr.,  the  Rev.  John  Codman,  and  the  Rev.  Richard  Pike 
have  died  in  office. 

The  author  of  the  little  volume  from  which  the  above 
lines  are  quoted  was  a  prominent  figure  to  those  who  wor- 
shipped at  the  First  Parish  Church.  Daniel  Davenport 
began  his  service  as  sexton  in  1799,  and  during  his  term 
of  office  officiated  at  no  less  than  fifteen  hundi'ed  and 
ninety-tlu'ee  funerals.  In  1826  he  published  the  "  Sexton's 
Monitor  and  Dorchester  Cemeterjr  Memorial,"  which  he 
dedicated  to  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Di'.  Harris,  with  tlie  wish 


1885.]  DOKCHESTER   CHTJECHE3.  285 

"  that  it  may  be  many  yeai-s  before  you  or  your  family  may 
need  my  services  in  this  solemn  vocation."  This  little 
book  went  thi'ough  three  editions. 

Thi'ee  years  before  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Harris,  "  Uncle 
Daniel,"  as  he  is  still  remembered  by  many  of  Dorchester's 
citizens,  asked  liim  to  write  an  epitaph;  and  the  worthy 
sexton  dug  a  grave  for  himself,  and  placed  a  stone  over  it. 
This  action  did  not  hasten  his  departure,  however,  for  he 
lived  tliirty-three  years  longer,  dying  December  24,  1860, 
ha  his  eighty-eighth  year.  It  was  always  a  matter  of 
great  regret  to  Uncle  Daniel  that  he  had  not  been  able  to 
serve  in  his  oilicial  capacity  one  year  longer,  as  he  would 
then  have  been  sexton  for  fifty  years.  "I  wanted  to 
celebrate  my  jubilee,"  he  used  to  say.  "  Dr.  Pierce  had 
his  jubilee  ;  why  would  n't  they  let  me  have  mine  ?  " 

From  the  collection  of  inscriptions  on  the  tombs  of  the 
Old  Buxjdng-Ground  contained  in  tliis  masterpiece  of 
Uncle  Daniel,  the  following  are  taken,  together  with  the 
quaint  notes  made  by  the  compiler :  — 

["On  two  chikU'en  lying  in  one  grave,  covered  with  a  flat 
stone,  but  so  broken  that  the  upper  part,  which  probably  bore 
the  name  of  the  parents,  was  gone."] 

Abel,  his  offering  accepted  is ; 
His  body  to  the  grave,  his  soul  to  bliss. 
In  October  twenty,  and  no  more, 
In  the  year  sixteen  hundred  44. 
Submit  submitted  to  her  heavenly  king. 
Being  a  flower  of  the  eternal  spring ; 
Near  3  years  old  she  died  in  heaven  to  wait, 
The  year  was  sixteen  hundred  48. 

[  "  Oil  Deacon  .James  Blake.  Note.  — He  languished  about 
seven  years  with  an  ulcerous  leg,  very  painful,  but  at  last  died 
with  an  epidemic  cold,  which  carried  off  many  aged  people."] 

Seven  years  strong  pain  do  end  at  last. 

His  weary  days  and  nights  are  past. 

The  way  was  rough,  the  end  is  peace ; 

Short  pain  gives  way  to  endless  ease. 


286  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1885 

[  "  Taken  from  a  stoue  which  had  been  broken  into  forty-five 
pieces."] 

Here  lies  three  clerks,  their  accounts  are  even, 
Entered  on  earth,  carried  up  to  heaven. 

[  "  Note.  This  is  a  very  ingenious  reference  to  Mercantile 
affau-s,  and  the  business  of  a  clerk  to  enter  accounts  in  the  day- 
book,  and  carry  them  up  to  the  Ledger ;  it  is  casting  up  the  reck- 
oning for  Time,  and  striking  the  balance  for  Eternity."] 

Submit  submitted  down  to  dust, 
Her  soul  ascends  up  to  the  just; 

At  near old  she  did  resign, 

Her  soul 's  gone  to  Christ,  year  '59. 

["On  an  ancient  School  Master  in  Dorchester,  who  died 
Feb.  24,  1674,  aged  81.     Written  by  himself."] 

WILLI.\M  POLE. 

Ho  Passenger !  its  worth  thy  pains  to  stay, 
And  take  a  dead  man's  lesson  by  the  way. 
I  was  what  now  thou  art,  and  thou  shalt  be 
What  I  am  now,  what  odds  'twixt  me  and  thee. 
Now  go  thy  way,  but  stay,  take  one  word  more, 
Thy  staff,  for  aught  thou  knowst,  stands  next  the  door. 
Death  is  the  door,  the  door  of  heaven  or  hell :  — 
Be  warned,  be  arm'd,  believe,  repent,  Farewell ! 

"  In  memory  of  Mr.  James  Baker,  who  died  Nov.  18,  1776, 
aged  64  " 

Preserve  O  grave  inviolate  thy  trust. 
Till  life  divine  reanimates  this  dust. 

"  Capt.  Abraham  Wheeler,  died  .June  20,  1778,  aged  43." 

How  loved,  how  valued  once,  avails  thee  not 
To  whom  related,  or  by  whom  begot. 

"  Mr.  Isaac  Fenno,  aged  32,  died  1796." 

O  life,  frail  offspring  of  a  day, 
'T  is  puff'd  with  one  short  gasp  away- 
Swift  as  the  short-lived  Hower  it  flies, 
It  springs,  it  blooms,  it  fades,  it  dies. 


1885.] 


DORCHESTER   CHURCHES.  287 


["Taken  from  the  grave  stone  of  a  child  of  Mr.  Solomon 
and  Mi-s.  Rachel  Hall,  aged  10  months,  died  1803."] 

Parents  of  children  take  a  last  adieu, 
And  so  must  children  of  their  parents  too. 

["Taken  from  the  grave  stone  of  William  Wilcox,  (South 
Bulging  ground)  who  died  in  1820,  aged  39."] 

In  business  diligence  and  care  he  join'd, 
In  spirit  fervor  with  his  hope  combin"d, 
With  sacred  truth  his  life  did  well  accord. 
He  serv'd  the  public  while  he  serv'd  the  Lord. 

This  last  epitaph  has  more  than  passing  interest.  It 
seems  that  Jlr.  Wilcox  kept  a  tavern  which  was  situated 
opposite  the  Second  Church,  where  on  Sundays  before  and 
after  the  services  he  sold  rum  to  his  fellow  chm-ch-mem- 
bers.  In  spite  of  his  calling,  however,  he  was  a  devout 
worsliipper,  and  believed  that  he  was  fully  justified  in 
combining  his  business  with  his  religion.  When  he  died, 
liis  pastor,  the  Rev.  Jolui  Codman,  ■wTote  the  above  lines 
for  his  epitaph,  which  contain  a  hidden  meaning  not  alto- 
gether clear  without  this  explanation. 

The  Hon.  Edward  Everett  made  the  following  beautifid 
allusion  to  the  Old  Buiying-Ground  in  his  oration  at  the 
two  hundred  and  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  the  settlement 
of  the  town  :  — 

"The  ancient  burial-ground  hard  by,  with  which  there  are 
few  of  us  who  have  not  some  tender  associations,  upon  whose 
early  graves  may  yet  be  seen  the  mossy  unknown  stones  placed 
there  by  the  first  settlers  for  protection  against  the  wolves,  still 
attracts  the  antiquary  with  its  quaint  and  learaed  inscriptions, 
and  preserves  the  memory,  not  merely  of  '  the  rude  forefathers 
of  the  hamlet,'  but  of  some  of  the  most  honored  names  in  the 
history  of  Massachusetts." 

It  has  been  possible  only  in  this  chapter  to  give  the 
history  of  the  fu'st  church  society  in  each  denomination. 
As  the  increasing  number  of  inhabitants  has  reauired  it. 


288 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


[1893. 


churches  have  been  built,  so  that  Dorchester  has  no  reason 
to  complain  of  a  lack  of  opportunity  for  worsliip,  contain- 
ing within  the  town  limits  some  thirty  distinct  organiza- 
tions. If  the  early  settlers  could  look  in  upon  the  town 
to-day,  and  see  the  different  churches  and  the  different 
creeds,  they  would  wonder  how  they  managed  to  get  along 
in  the  olden  days  with  a  single  roof  to  shelter  all  beliefs 
and  doctrines ! 

The  church  history  of  Dorchester,  as  we  have  seen  it  in 
the  i^receding  j^^ges,  shows  that  the  descendants  of  the 
early  fathers  have  reason  to  feel  a  thrill  of  pride  that  their 
ancestors  belonged  to  the  sturdy  company  which  laid  the 
early  foundations  of  the  town.  They  were  sometimes 
intolerant,  they  were  sometimes  vmwise  in  their  interjji-eta- 
tion  of  the  Scriptures ;  but  they  were  manly,  coiu-ageous 
men  and  women,  who  governed  their  lives  according  to 
their  best  enlightenment.  It  is  from  their  religious  life 
rather  than  from  any  other  characteristic  that  we  may 
di-aw  the  truest  picture  of  the  first  settlers  of  Good  Old 
Dorchester. 


CHAPTER   V. 


DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS. 


E  have  seen  in  the  preceding  chapter  that 
the  Church  held  the  first  place  in  the 
affections  of  the  early  settlers ;  but  the 
institution  of  next  importance  was  the 
school.  As  soon  as  the  peojjle  had  pro- 
vided shelter  for  themselves  and  their 
families,  and  had  established  a  form  of  government,  civil 
and  ecclesiastical,  their  next  care  was  to  provide  for  the 
education  of  the  young,  — "  all  being  inspired  with  a 
common  purpose,  namely,  that  in  the  establishment  of  a 
'State  without  a  king,'  the  people,  in  whom  was  to  rest 
the  sovereign  will,  should  receive  the  first  principles  of 
an  education  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  rule  and  to 
govern."  ^ 

The  history  of  the  schools  of  Dorchester  has  special 
interest  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  town  claims  precedence 
in  the  establishment  of  the  first  free  public  school,  sup- 
ported by  a  direct  tax  upon  the  people.  Several  other 
towns  have  also  claimed  this  distinction,  notably  Charles 
City,  Manhattan,  Boston,  Charlestown,  Salem,  and  New- 
bury, and  it  is  interesting  to  di-aw  conclusions  on  the 
subject  by  examination  of  the  records. 


Hon.  Charles  T.  Gallagher. 


290  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1639. 

A  school  was  establislied  in  Charles  City,  Virginia,  as 
early  as  1621 ;  hut  no  doubt  now  exists  that  this  was  purely 
a  private  school,  which  was  sustained  by  subscription. 
Twelve  years  later,  a  Dutch  school  was  started  at  Manhat- 
tan, but  this  was  also  a  private  school.  The  Boston  Latin 
School  was  begun  in  1635 ;  but  there  is  no  evidence  to 
show  that  it  received  the  support  of  the  town  before  1641. 
Charlestown  passed  a  vote  in  1636  to  pay  William  With- 
erell  =£40  a  year  for  keeping  the  school ;  but  evidence  is 
lacking  to  prove  that  this  sum  was  raised  by  taxation,  — 
the  first  entry  to  this  effect  being  dated  some  years  later 
than  1640.  The  Rev.  John  Fiske  organized  a  school  at 
Salem  in  1637 ;  but  the  first  recognition  of  it  by  the  town, 
as  shown  by  the  records,  is  under  date  of  January,  1640. 
Newbury  granted  land  to  Anthony  Somerby  in  1639  "  for 
his  encouragement  to  keep  school  one  year,"  but  it  was  not 
until  1652  that  the  town  actually  voted  to  sustain  it. 

We  thus  see  that  all  who  lay  claim  to  the  distinction  of 
having  established  the  first  free  public  school,  supported 
by  direct  taxation,  with  the  exception  of  Dorchester,  are 
singularly  lacking  in  e\adence  to  prove  their  assertions. 
In  striking  contrast,  however,  the  Dorchester  Town  Rec- 
ords state  definitely  that  on  May  20  (O.  S.),  1639,  it  was 
ordered  that  — 

"There  shalbe  a  rent  of  20'*  yeerely  foreu"^  imposed  vpon 
Tomsons  Iland  to  bee  payd  p  euy  p'son  that  hath  p'prtie  in  the 
said  Iland  according  to  the  p'portion  that  any  such  p'sou  shall 
fro  tyme  to  tj'me  inioy  and  posesse  there,  and  this  towards  the 
mayntenance  of  a  schoole  in  Dorchesf  this  rent  of  20'^  yeerly 
to  bee  payd  to  such  a  schoolemaster  as  shall  undertake  to  teach 
english  latin  and  othe''  tongues,  and  also  writing  the  sayd  school- 
maste  to  bee  chosen  fro  tyme  to  tyme  p  the  freemen  and  that  is 
left  to  the  discretion  of  elders  and  the  7  men  for  the  tyme  bee- 
iug  whether  maydes  shalbe  taught  with  the  boyes  or  not.  For 
the  levying  this  20'*  yeerely  fro  the  p'ticuler  p'sons  that  ought 
to  pay  that  according  to  this  order.     It  is  farther  ordered  that 


1639.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  291 

somme  man  shalbe  apoynted  p  the  7  men  for  the  tyme  beeiug 
to  Receiue  that  and  refusall  to  levye  that  p  distresse,  and  not 
fynding  distresse  such  p'son  as  so  refuseth  pa3'ment  shall  forfeit 
the  laud  he  hath  in  p'prietie  In  the  sayd  Island." 

The  Hon.  Joseph  Wliite,  in  the  Fortieth  Annual  Report 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Board  of  Education, 
referring  to  this  subject,  says :  — 

"  This  notable  law,  giving  voice,  as  it  did,  to  the  convictions 
and  experience  of  the  people,  was  everywhere  cheerfully  obeyed. 
On  every  side,  as  the  ancient  forests  gave  way  before  the  hardy 
pioneers,  iu  their  slow  but  sure  advance  from  the  seaboard  into 
the  interior,  the  meeting-house  and  the  schoolhouse  rose  side 
by  side  with  the  log  huts  of  the  settlers,  thus  converting  the 
desolate  places  of  the  wilderness  into  the  homes  of  a  Christian 
people,  —  the  '  seed-plots  '  of  a  higher  and  pui-er  life  for  ages 
yet  to  come. 

"  No  grander  spectacle  is  presented  in  the  history  of  any 
people  than  that  of  these  ancient  men,  thus  struggling  for  a 
scanty  subsistence  amid  the  privations  and  dangers  of  border 
life,  and  often  for  Itself  against  the  attacks  of  a  stealthy  and 
relentless  foe,  and  yet,  as  if  with  a  prophetic  prevision  of  the 
future,  sparing  no  effort  in  their  deep  poverty,  shrinking  from 
no  sacrifice  of  time  and  money  needful  to  plant  the  pillars  of 
the  new  Commonwealth  —  then-  beloved  'New  England,'  as 
they  were  wont  to  call  it  —  on  the  everlasting  foundations  of 
universal  intelligence  and  vutue." 

The  first  schoolmaster  of  Dorchester  was  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Waterhouse.^  He  was  a  graduate  of  Cambridge 
University,  England,  and  came  to  America  when  the  Eng- 
lish civil  war  broke  out.  He  taught  for  a  short  time  in  the 
first  schoolhouse  built  by  the  town,  after  which  he  returned 
to  England,  where  he  died  in  1680.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  "  a  very  useful  man,  of  a  blameless  conversation,  and 
very  firm  in  his  non-conformity."  ^     Under  date  of  October 

•  Dr.  Harris  supposed  that  a  Mr.   Conant  might  have  preceded   Mr. 
Waterliouse,  but  evidence  is  lacking  to  establisli  the  fact. 
-  Palmer:  Non-Conformists'  Memorial,  vol.  ii.  p.  408. 


292  GOOD   OLD  DOKCHESTEE.  [1639. 

31,  1639,  the  Town  Records  contain  the  following  entry  in 
regard  to  Mr.  Waterhouse :  — 

"It  is  ordered  that  M"'  Waterhouse  shall  be  dispensed  with 
coaceruiug  that  Clause  of  the  order  in  the  Charge  of  Twenty 
pounds  yeerly,  rent  to  be  payd  for  Tomsons  Hand  towards  the 
skoolc :  where  he  is  bound  to  teach  to  write  it  shalbe  left  to  his 
liberty  in  that  poynt  of  teaching  to  write,  only  to  doe  what  he 
can  conveniently  therein." 

In  1641  Thorap-son's  Island  was  directly  conveyed  to  the 
town,  for  the  sujiport  and  establishment  of  the  free  school. 
There  had  been  much  difficulty  in  collecting  the  rents  due 
from  the  proprietors  of  the  island,  and  the  transfer  of  the 
property  was  intended  to  make  the  income  more  certain. 
The  document  by  wliich  the  property  was  given  over 
to  the  town  was  signed  by  seventy-one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent inhabitants,  whose  signatures  are  given  on  the 
accompanying  j^ages. 

The  plans  for  the  school  matured  slowly ;  but  in  1645 
wardens  were  appointed  "  to  take  care  &  manage  }'^  affairs 
of  y''  School ;  they  were  to  see  that  both  y*  Master  &  Schol- 
ler  performed  their  Duty,  &  to  Judge  of  &  End  any  tliffer- 
ence  that  might  arise  between  Master  &  SchoUer,  or  their 
Parents,  according  to  Sundiy  Rules  &  Directions  there  set 
down."  1 

These  "  rules  and  directions  "  are  given  in  full  in  the 
Town  Records,  and  are  valuable  as  giving  an  accurate  view 
of  the  education  of  the  early  fathers.  They  read  as 
follows :  — 

"  Upon  a  generall  and  lawfull  warning  of  nil  the  Inhabitants 
the  14"^  of  the  1^'  moneth  1645  these  rules  and  orders  p'seuted 
to  the  Towne  concerning  the  Schoole  of  Dorchester  are  Con- 
firmed by  the  maior  p'te  of  the  Inhabitants  then  p'^sent. 

"  First  It  is  ordered  that  three  able,  and  sufficient  men  of 
the  Plantation  shalbe  Chosen  to  bee  wardens  or  ouseers  of  the 

1  Blake's  Annals  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  p.  17  (1846). 


iT 


"  ^-i^^'il'l^^. 


s 


1 


r 


1 

5, 


.5^ 


1^^ 


ftf-%! 


^ 


1^ 


if^ 


^■^   4\   ^       <^   -^    i      5     5 


1645.]  DOKCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  297 

Schoole  aboue  mentioned  who  shall  haue  the  charge  otisight  and 
ordering  thereof  and  of  all  things  eoncerueing  the  same  in  such 
manner  as  is  hereafter  expressed  and  shall  Continue  in  their 
office  and  place  for  terme  of  their  liues  respectiuely,  vnlesse  by 
reason  of  any  of  them  Remouing  his  habitation  out  of  the 
Towne,  or  for  any  other  weightie  reason  the  Inhabitants  shall 
see  cause  to  Elect  or  Chuse  others  in  their  roome  in  which  eases 
and  vpon  the  death  of  any  of  the  sayd  wardens  the  Inhabitants 
shall  make  a  new  Election  and  choice  of  others. 

"  And  M^  Howard,  Deacon  Wiswall,  JF.  Athertou  are 
elected  to  bee  the  first  wardens  or  ouseers. 

"  Secondly,  the  said  Wardens  shall  haue  full  power  to  dis- 
pose of  the  Schoole  stock  whither  the  same  bee  in  laud  or 
otherwyse,  both  such  as  is  akeady  in  beeing  and  such  as  may 
by  any  good  meaues  heereafter  be  added  :  aud  shall  Collect  and 
receiue  the  Rents,  Issues  and  p'fitts  arising  aud  growing  of  and 
from  the  sayd  stock.  And  the  sayd  reuts  Issues  and  b'fits  shall 
imploy  aud  lay  out  only  for  the  best  behoof,  and  advantadge  of 
the  sayd  Schoole ;  and  the  furtherance  of  learning  thereby, 
and  shall  giue  a  faythfuU  aud  true  accoumpt  of  there  receipts 
and  disbui'sements  so  often  as  they  shalbee  thervnto  required 
by  the  Inhabitants  or  the  maior  p'te  of  them. 

"  Thirdly  the  said  Wardens  shall  take  care,  and  doe  there 
vtmost  and  best  endeavor  that  the  sayd  Schoole  may  fro  tyme 
to  tyme  bee  supplied  with  an  able  and  sufficient  Schoolemaster 
who  neuthelesse  is  not  to  be  admitted  into  the  place  of  Schoole- 
master without  the  Geuarall  coseut  of  the  Inhabitants  or  the 
maior  p'te  of  them. 

"  Fowerthly  so  often  as  the  said  Schoole  shalbee  supplied 
with  a  Schoolem"' — so  p'vided  and  admitted,  as  aforesayd 
the  wardens  shall  fro  tyme  to  tyme  pay  or  cause  to  be  payd  vnto 
the  sayd  Schoolem''  such  wages  out  of  the  Rents,  Issues  and 
p'fitts  of  the  Schoole  stocke  as  shall  of  right  come  due  to  be 
payd. 

"  Fiuethly  the  sayd  wardens  shall  from  tyme  to  tyme  see  that 
the  Schoole  howse  bee  kept  in  good,  and  sufficient  repayre,  the 
chargs  of  which  reparacion  shalbe  defrayed  and  payd  out  of 
such  Rents,  Issues  and  p'fitts  of  the  Schoole  stock,  if  there  be 


298  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1645. 

sufficient,  or  else  of  such  rents  as  shall  arise  and  grow  in  the 
time  of  the  vacancy  of  the  schoolem"'  —  if  ther  bee  any  such 
and  in  defect  of  such  vacancy  the  wardens  shall  repayre  to  the 
7  men  of  the  Towne  for  the  tyme  beeing  who  shall  haue  power 
to  taxe  the  Towne  with  such  some,  or  sorames  as  shal  be  requi- 
site for  the  repayring  of  the  Schoole  howse  as  aforesayd. 

"  Sixthly  the  sayd  Wardens  shall  take  Care  that  euy  yeere  at 
or  before  the  end  of  the  9'"  moneth  theii-  bee  brought  to  the 
Schoolhowse  12  sufficient  Cart,  or  wayne  loads  of  wood  for 
fewell,  to  be  for  the  vse  of  the  Schoole  master  and  the  Schollers 
in  winter  the  Cost  and  Chargs  of  which  sayd  wood  to  be  borne 
by  the  Schollers  for  the  tyme  beeing  who  shalbe  taxed  for  the 
purpose  at  the  discretion  of  the  sayd  Wardens. 

"  Lastly  the  sayd  Wardens  shall  take  care  that  the  Schoolem' 
for  the  tyme  beeing  doe  faythfully  p'forme  his  dutye  in  his 
place,  as  schoolem''^  ought  to  doe  as  well  as  in  other  things  as  in 
these  which  are  hereafter  expressed,  viz. 

"First  that  the  Schoolem''  shall  diligently  attend  his  Schoole 
and  doe  his  vtmost  indeavor  for  Benefitting  his  Schollers  accor- 
ding to  his  best  discretion  without  vnnecessaryly  absenting  him- 
self to  the  p'^iudice  of  his  schollers,  and  hindering  there 
learning. 

"  2'y  that  from  the  begiiiing  of  the  first  moneth  vntill  the  end 
of  the  7""  he  shall  euy  day  begin  to  teach  at  seaven  of  the 
Clock  in  the  morning  and  dismisse  his  schollers  at  fyue  in  the 
afternoone.  And  for  the  other  fyue  moneths  that  is  from 
the  beginning  of  the  8*  moneth  vntill  the  end  of  the  12""  moth 
it  shall  euy  day  beginn  at  8*"  of  the  Clock  in  the  morning  and 
[end]  at  4  in  the  afternoon. 

"  3'y  etiy  day  in  the  yeere  the  vsuall  tyme  of  dismissing  at 
noone  shalbe  at  11  and  to  beginn  agayne  at  one  except  that 

"4'5'  euery  second  day  iu  the  weeke  he  shall  call  his  schollers 
togeither  betweene  12  and  one  of  the  Clock  to  examin  them 
what  they  haue  learned  on  the  saboath  day  p^ceding  at  which 
tyme  also  he  shall  take  notice  of  any  misdemeanor  or  disorder 
that  any  of  his  skollers  shall  haue  Committed  on  the  saboath 
to  the  end  that  at  somme  convenient  tyme  due  Admonition,  and 
Correction  may  bee  admistred  by  him  according  as  the  natui-e, 


1045.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  299 

and  qualitie  of  the  offence  shall  require  at  which  sayd  examina- 
tion any  of  the  elders  or  other  Inhabitants  that  please  may  bee 
p''sent  to  behold  his  religious  care  herein  and  to  giue  their  Coun- 
tenance, and  ap'pbation  of  the  same. 

"  5'y  hee  shall  equally  and  impartially  receiue,  and  iusti'uct 
such  as  shalbe  sent  and  Comitted  to  him  for  that  end  whither 
theu-  parents  bee  poore  or  rich  not  refusing  any  who  haue  Right 
and  Interest  in  the  Schoole. 

"  e'y  such  as  shalbe  Coiiiitted  to  him  he  shall  diligently  in- 
struct as  they  shalbe  able  to  learne  both  in  humane  learning, 
and  good  literature,  and  likewyse  in  poynt  of  good  manners, 
and  dutifull  behavior  towards  all  specially  their  sup'iors  as  they 
shall  haue  ocasion  to  bee  in  their  p'^sence  whither  by  meeting 
them  in  the  streete  or  otherwyse. 

"  Vy  euy  6  day  of  the  weeke  at  2  of  the  Clock  in  the  after- 
noone  hee  shall  chatechise  his  schollers  in  the  principles  of 
Christian  religion,  either  in  soiSe  Chatechism  which  the 
Wardens  shall  p'vide,  and  p''sent  or  in  defect  thereof  in  some 
other. 

"  8'^  And  because  all  mans  indeavors  without  the  blessing 
of  God  must  needs  bee  fruitlesse  and  vnsuccessfuU  theirfore  It 
is  to  be  a  cheif  p'te  of  the  schoolem"^  religious  care  to  Coinend 
his  schollers  and  his  labours  amongst  them  vnto  God  by  prayer, 
morning  and  euening,  taking  Care  that  his  schollers  doe  reuendly 
attend  during  the  same. 

"9'y  And  because  the  Rodd  of  Correction  is  an  ordinance 
of  God  necessary  sometymes  to  bee  dispensed  vnto  children 
but  such  as  may  easily  be  abused  by  ofimuch  seuitie  and  rigour 
on  the  one  hand,  or  by  ou  much  indulgence  and  lenitye  on  the 
other.  It  is  therefore  ordered  and  agreed  that  the  schoolemas- 
ter  for  the  tyme  beeing  shall  haue  full  power  to  minister  Correc- 
tion to  all  or  any  of  his  schollers  without  respect  of  p'sons 
according  as  the  nature  and  qualitie  of  the  offence  shall  requu-e 
wherto,  all  his  schollers  must  bee  duely  subiect  and.  no  parent  or 
other  of  the  Inhabitants  shall  hinder  or  goe  about  to  hinder  the 
master  therein.  Neiithelesse  if  any  parent  or  others  shall  think 
their  is  iust  cause  of  Complaint  agaynst  the  master  for  to 
much  seuitye,  such  shall  haue  liberty  freindly  and  louingly  to 


300  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTKE.  [1645. 

expostulate  with  the  master  about  the  same,  and  if  they  shall 
not  attayue  to  satisfaction  the  matter  is  then  to  bee  referred  to 
the  wardens  who  shall  imp'tially  Judge  betwixt  the  master  and 
such  Complaynants.  And  if  it  shall  appeare  to  them  that  any 
parent  shall  make  causelesse  Complaynts  agaynst  the  m''.  in  this 
behalf  and  shall  p'sist  and  Continue  so  doeing  in  such  case  the 
Wardens  shall  haue  power  to  discharge  the  m''  of  the  care,  and 
charge  of  the  children  of  such  parents.  But  if  the  thing  Com- 
playued  of  bee  true  and  that  the  m'.  haue  indeed  bene  guiltie  of 
ministring  excessiue  Correction,  and  shall  appere  to  them  to 
Continue  therein,  notwithstanding  that  they  haue  advised  him 
otherwise,  in  such  case  as  also  in  the  case  of  to  much  lenitye ; 
or  any  other  great  neglect  of  dutye  in  his  place,  p'sisted  in  It 
shalbe  in  the  power  of  the  Wardens  to  call  the  Inhabitants  to- 
gether to  Consider  whither  it  were  not  meet  to  discharge  the 
m'  of  his  place  that  so  somme  other  more  desirable  may  be 
p'vided. 

"  And  because  it  is  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  giue  p'ticular 
rules  that  shall  reach  all  cases  which  may  fall  out,  therefore  for 
a  Conclusion  It  is  ordered,  and  agreed,  in  Generall,  that  where 
p'ticular  rules  are  wanting  there  It  shalbe  a  p'te  of  the  office  and 
dutye  of  the  Wardens  to  order  and  dispose  of  all  things  that 
Concerue  the  schoole,  in  such  sort  as  in  their  wisedome  and  dis- 
cretion they  shall  Judge  most  Conducible  for  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  trayning  vp  of  the  Children  of  the  Towne  in  religion, 
learning  and  Civilitie.  And  these  orders  to  be  Continued  till 
the  maior  p'te  of  the  Towne  shall  see  cause  to  alter  any  ])'te 
thereof. 

"Upon  a  generall  and  lawfuU  warning  of  all  the  inhabitants 

the  14"'  of  the  first  m°  1645  the  rules  and  orders  aboue  written 

p'^sented  to  the  Towne  Concerning  the  schoole  of  Dorchester 

are  Confirmed  p  the  maior  p'te  of  the  Inhabitants. 

Deacon  Wiswol  —  ;      ,  , 

I  chosen   wardens 

Humphrey  Atherton —  „       ,        ,     , 

,,     ^-,  t  for  the  schoole. 

M^  Howard —  )  '' 

Tlie  importance  of  these  regulations  can  hardly  be  over- 
estimated. "  The  fathers  builded  better  than  they  knew," 
said  Mr.  Mowiy  at  the  Dorchester  Celebration  in  1889 ; 


1645.]  DOKCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  301 

"  primarily  they  had  in  mind  the  proper  nurturing  of  their 
own  childi-en,  but  they  were  hxying  important  foundations 
on  which  future  ages  should  build  a  temple,  at  once  large 
and  grand  and  beautiful." 

By  tills  act,  passed  in  1645,  Robert  Howard,  Deacon 
John  Wiswall,  and  Humpluey  Atherton  were  appointed 
members  of  the  first  school  committee  in  America.  Mr. 
Howard  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  town,  having  served 
as  selectman  for  many  years.  He  came  to  Dorchester  with 
the  second  immigration,  in  1635,  and  received  three  years 
later  a  section  of  land  in  the  first  division.  He  was  made 
a  freeman  in  1643.  Deacon  Wiswall  also  came  to  Dor- 
chester in  1635,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  selectmen. 
We  know  little  of  him,  except  that  he  was  one  of  a  com- 
mittee api^ointed  by  the  town  to  treat  with  the  Indians. 
Humplu-ey  Atherton  has  already  been  referred  to  at  length 
in  a  preceding  chapter. 

The  school  wardens  were  elected  for  life,  although  the 
town  reserved  the  right  to  remove  any  one  of  them  "  for 
weighty  reasons."  They  had  charge  of  everything  which 
pertained  to  the  school,  and  were  expected  to  see  that  the 
regulations  of  the  town  were  adliered  to.  Their  specific 
duties  are  fully  explained  in  the  extracts  from  the  records, 
quoted  on  the  preceding  page. 

The  use  of  the  word  "  free "  as  applied  to  this  first 
public  school  is  apt  to  be  misleading.  A  "  free  school "  in 
the  early  days  was  not  an  institution  in  which  the  pupils 
were  exempted  from  paying  tuition,  but  one  which  was 
free  to  all  classes.  This  same  distinction  should  be  made 
in  the  use  of  the  word  "  public ;  "  for  the  present  system 
of  "free  public  schools,"  where  education  is  given  without 
expense  to  the  parents,  is  of  a  much  later  date.  ^ 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  situated  on  what  has  been 
known  as  "  Settlers'  Street,"  near  the  corner  of  the  present 

1  William  A.  Mowry,  Ph.  D. :  Historical  Address  at  Dorchester  Cele- 
bration, 1889. 


302  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1674. 

Pleasant  and  Cottage  Streets,  and  consisted  of  a  single 
room,  formed  by  four  walls  poorly  constructed,  and  a  roof 
wliich  barely  did  its  duty.  In  1674  we  find  an  entry  giving 
Ensign  Richard  Hall  the  power  to  see  "  that  the  school- 
house  be  repaired  either  by  Clabording  or  Shingleing  the 
Roofe."  A  year  later  Daniel  Preston  and  Richard  With- 
ington  were  ordered  to  provide  the  room  with  seats,  and  to 
fit  a  lock  and  key  on  the  door. 

It  was  natural  that  controversy  should  have  arisen  as  to 
the  fitness  of  the  building ;  but  it  was  used  until  1694, 
when  steps  were  taken  to  provide  more  suitable  accommo- 
dations. A  contract  was  made  with  John  Trescot  to  build 
a  house  twenty  feet  long  and  nineteen  feet  wide,  with  a 
ground  floor  and  a  chamber  above,  a  flight  of  stairs,  and  a 
chimney.  The  contract  required  the  building  to  be  boarded 
and  clapboarded ;  to  be  filled  up  between  the  studs  ;  to  be 
fully  covered  with  boards  and  shingles ;  and  to  be  completed 
before  September  29, 1694.  As  a  recompense  for  his  work, 
Trescot  was  to  receive  the  glass,  lock  and  key,  hooks  and 
hinges  of  the  old  schoolhouse,  and  £22  in  current  New 
England  money.  The  site  of  this  building,  it  is  supposed, 
was  on  the  liill  near  the  meeting-house,  on  what  is  now 
known  as  Winter  Street.  A  large,  perpendicular  rock 
made  the  principal  part  of  one  end,  and  formed  the  back 
of  the  fire-place. 

The  parents  of  each  child  were  expected  to  provide  the 
school  with  "  two  feet  of  wood,  or  two  shillings  and  six- 
pence money,  to  be  delivered  to  the  School  Master  within 
one  month  after  the  29th  of  September,  annually,  or  their 
children  to  have  no  privilege  of  the  fii-e."  Similar  rules 
were  passed  down  to  1732,  when  the  school  was  provided 
with  wood  at  the  expense  of  the  town. 

We  have  seen  in  a  preceding  chapter  ^  that  Dorchester 
was  forced  to  relinquish  Thompson's  Island  in  1648  to 
John  Thompson,  the  son  of  David  Thompson,  from  whom 

>  Ante,  p.  60. 


1659.]  DORCHESTER    SCHOOLS.  303 

the  island  received  its  name.  The  town  never  felt  that 
justice  had  been  done  in  the  matter,  and  on  March  8, 1659, 
appointed  a  committee  to  present  their  grievances,  Roger 
Clap  and  Hopestill  Foster  being  chosen.  Those  represen- 
tatives presented  the  following  petition  to  the  Court :  — 

To  the  Hou''''  Generall  Court  Now  assembled  at  Boston,  the 
petition  of  the  inhabitants  of  Dorchester 
Humbly  sheweth, 

That  wheras  there  was  many  years  since  granted  by  this 
court,  as  appears  by  record,  a  sertaine  Hand  called  Thomsons 
Hand  w'^''  we  the  said  Inhabitants  possest  diners  years  and 
hopefull  to  haue  euer  enjoyd  the  same  for  the  benefit  of  o"^  seines 
and  posterity  (the  same  being  giuen  to  and  for  the  maintenance 
of  a  free  scoole  In  Dorchester)  but  the  s'^  Hand  hath  bin  taken 
from  vs  and  setled  on  others  to  the  almost  if  not  totall  ouer- 
throw  of  o''  free  scoole  w'^''  was  soe  hopefull  for  posterity,  both 
our  owue  and  neihbors  also  who  had  or  might  haue  reaped  ben- 
ifit  thereby. 

"  Our  Humble  Request  to  this  hon'"''  Coiu't  is,  that  you  would 
be  pleased  to  reneiue  yo''  former  grant  of  the  said  Hand,  and 
confirme  the  same  vnto  vs,  we  conceiuing  we  had  Just  title  ther 
vnto,  or  Elc,  that  you  would  bee  pleased  to  grant  vnto  vs  one 
thousand  ackors  of  land  In  some  conuenient  place  or  places  (for 
the  end  afo''sd,  namly,  the  maintenance  of  o"'  dijng  scoole) 
where  we  shall  find  it,  and  in  the  courts  power  to  grant  the 
same,  and  y"  petition"  shall  pray,  &c. 

Dor:  18:  8.   [October,]  Roger  Clap,  ) 

1659:  Hopestill  Foster  f      ^^   ^^^ 

name  and  by  order  from 
y"  towne." 

As  a  result  of  this  petition,  the  Court  granted  the  town 
a  tract  of  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  the  income  from 
which  was  to  be  appropriated  towards  maintaining  the 
school.  It  was  not,  however,  until  nearly  sixty  years  later 
that  this  land  was  selected  and  laid  out ;  the  tract  being 
located  in  1718,  in  what  later  became  Lunenburg,  in 
Worcester  County. 


304  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1662. 

The  town  wisely  decided  not  to  wait  for  the  land  aiipro- 
priated  by  the  Court  to  be  laid  out,  but  in  1657  appropriated 
another  one  thousand  acres,  from  which  the  school  might 
derive  a  more  speedy  benefit.  In  1662  Roger  Clap, 
Hopestill  Foster,  William  Sumner,  and  John  Minot  were 
ajipointed  to  select  the  land  for  this  purpose.  They  chose 
three  hundi'ed  acres,  "  beginning  at  that  place  where 
Dedham  and  Dorchester  line  doe  meet  with  Neponset 
River,  and  so  to  come  down,  as  far  as  300  acres  will 
extend,  both  in  length  and  breadth,  as  the  conveniency 
of  the  land  will  afford  when  it  is  layd  out  by  measure." 
The  balance  of  the  land  was  not  laid  out  until  forty  years 
later.  In  1668  it  was  voted  that  this  land  should  never 
be  "  alienated  to  any  other  use,  nor  sold,  nor  any  part  of 
it,  but  be  reserved  for  the  maintenance  of  a  Free  School 
in  Dorchester  forever."  In  spite  of  this  injunction,  how- 
ever, the  land  was  later  disposed  of,  the  sums  realized 
thereby  being  devoted  to  its  proper  use. 

The  early  settlers  took  great  personal  interest  and  pride 
in  their  school,  and  gave  liberally  to  its  support.  The 
earliest  gift  was  a  legacy  from  John  Clap  in  1655.  This 
land,  situated  at  South  Boston  Point,  was  sold  in  1835 
for  $13,590.62.^  Another  bequest,  made  by  Christopher 
Gibson  in  1674,  now  amounts  to  more  than  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars,  yielding  a  yearly  income  of  fourteen  hundred 
dollars,  and  much  of  the  land  is  still  held  in  trust  for  the 
benefit  of  the  schools.  The  sum  of  one  hundi'ed  and  fifty 
pounds,  which  Lieutenant-Governor  Stoughton  contributed 
towards  the  support  of  the  schoolmaster,  has  now  grown  to 
be  more  than  five  thousand  dollars.  John  Gomel,  Hope- 
still  Foster,  and  Governor  James  Bowdoin  also  contributetl 
to  the  support  of  the  school. 

We  have  learned  in  a  preceding  chapter  of  Governor 
Stoughton ;  and  now  let  us  glance  at  Christopher  Gibson, 
who  did  so  much  to  encourage  the  early  establishment  of 
1  Suffolk  Deeds,  lib.  392,  fol.  170. 


1674.]  DORCHESTER    SCHOOLS.  305 

learning.  He  came  to  Dorchester  in  1630,  and  applied  for 
freemanship  in  October  of  that  year,  remaining  in  Dor- 
chester until  about  1646,  when  he  removed  to  Boston,  and 
became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  North  Church.  He 
was  a  soap-boiler  by  trade,  and  appears  to  have  been  a  man 
of  distinction  in  the  settlement.  He  was  a  selectman  iu 
1636,  1638,  and  1642,  and  filled  various  other  offices  at 
different  times.  In  his  will,  which  was  written  in  1674, 
he  directed  that,  if  anything  remained  after  the  settlement 
of  his  estate,  his  executors  should  purchase  some  estate  for 
the  "promoting  of  learning  in  the  town  of  Dorchester." 
In  obedience  to  these  directions,  Daniel  Preston,  the  sur- 
viving executor,  purchased  twenty-six  acres  of  land,  at 
Smelt  Brook,  for  one  hundred  and  four  pounds,  and 
deeded  the  same  to  the  selectmen  of  Dorchester,  February 
6,  1693,  in  the  following  terms :  namely,  "  To  Enoch  Wis- 
well,  Samuel  Robinson,  Jolm  Tolman,  James  BLrd,  and 
Increase  Sumner,  as  trustees  aforesaid,  for  the  time  being, 
and  to  their  successors  and  assigns  forever  in  the  same 
place,  trust,  and  office,  to  and  for  the  only  sole  use  and 
purpose,  benefit,  and  behoof  of  the  schools  of  learning  in 
the  town  of  Dorchester,  and  to  and  for  no  other  use,  intent, 
or  purpose  whatsoever,  absolutely  without  any  manner  or 
condition,  redemption  or  revocation  in  any  wise." 

When  Dorchester  was  annexed  to  Boston  these  funds 
were  given  over  to  the  city;  but  the  income  from  the 
Gibson  fund  is  appropriated  to  supply  the  Dorchester 
schools  with  library  books  and  apparatus  such  as  are  not 
supplied  by  Boston,  and  the  interest  on  the  Stoughton 
fund  is  credited  annually  to  the  appropriation  for  salaries 
of  school  instructors. 

While  the  Gibson  land  was  in  the  possession  of  the  town 
of  Dorchester  it  seems  that  the  trust  was  faithfully  cared 
for ;  as  when,  some  forty  years  ago,  the  office  of  the  town 
treasurer  was  broken  into,  and  a  bond  to  the  value  of  one 
thousand  dollars  belonging  to  the  Gibson  fund  was  stolen, 


306  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1692. 

the  town  promptly  made  good  the  loss.  It  has  been  felt 
by  many,  however,  that  the  city  of  Boston  has  not  made 
the  most  of  this  land.  Mr.  Amos  R.  Storer,  in  an  adcb-ess 
before  the  Dorchester  Improvement  Association,  expressed 
this  feeling  when  he  said  :  — 

"  The  Gibson  field  is  used  by  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  and  Middle- 
sex counties  for  base  ball,  foot  ball,  fruit  stealing,  and  general 
profanity,  —  a  kind  of  learning  which  Christopher  Gibson  never 
contemplated.  There  never  was  a  more  flagrant  violation  of  a 
most  sacred  trust  than  in  the  use  which  has  been  made  of  this 
land  for  the  last  twenty  years.  It  should  have  yielded,  and 
might  have  yielded,  fifteen  hundred  dollars  to  the  schools  of 
Dorchester." 

A  record  of  the  town,  dated  May  3,  1692,  reads  as 
follows :  "  Samuel  Clap,  Samuel  Topliff,  and  Hoiiestill 
Clap,  select  men,  received  of  Joseph  Capin  a  Latin  Book 
which  doth  belong  to  the  town,  and  delivered  said  book  to 
Mr.  Joseph  Lord,  schoolmaster,  to  be  improved  for  the 
benefit  of  the  school,  and  said  Lord  is  to  deliver  it  to  some 
of  the  select  men  when  he  leaves  the  school  in  Dorchester." 
This  "  Latin  Book  "  was  a  copy  of  Cooper's  "  Thesaurus 
Romanse  et  Britannicfe,"  and  was  presented  to  the  Dorches- 
ter school  bj'  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather  in  1669,  as  is  proved 
by  a  memorandum  on  the  margin  of  one  of  its  leaves. 
This  book  is  remarkable  in  many  ways  besides  its  anti- 
quity. No  less  than  eight  or  nine  successive  generations  of 
childi'en  have  received  instruction  from  this  identical  vol- 
ume. The  author  says :  "  A  studious  young  man,  with 
small  paines,  by  the  helpe  of  this  booke  may  gather  to 
himself  good  furniture  both  of  words  and  approved  phrases 
and  fashions  of  speaking  for  anything,  that  he  shall  eyther 
write  or  speake  of,  and  so  make  unto  his  use,  as  it  were,  a 
common  place  booke  for  such  a  purpose,  so  that  those  who 
wish  may  by  their  owne  labour,  without  instruction  or 
helpe  of  maisters,  traveyle  to  attain  the  knowledge  of  the 
Latine  tongue."     The  title-page  is  all  that  is  missing  in 


1726.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  307 

this  famous  copy  of  the  book,  and  this  was  replaced  by  a 
fac-simile  made  by  William  B.  Trask  from  the  copy  in  the 
Boston  Athenaeum.  In  it  are  written  many  of  the  names 
of  the  early  teachers  in  the  Dorchester  schools,  the  earliest 
entries  being  in  the  handwriting  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Harris. 
For  more  than  two  hundred  j^ears  it  remained  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Mather  School,  the  direct  descendant  of 
the  fii-st  school ;  but  from  that  point  no  trace  of  it  can 
be  found.  Another  copy  of  the  book  is  in  the  Boston 
Athenaeum,  bearing  the  date  of  1578  ;  and  a  third,  in  the 
library  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  printed 
two  years  later,  contains  autographs  of  Adam  Winthrop, 
—  father  of  the  elder  Governor  Winthrop,  —  Governor 
Winthrop  himself,  and  also  that  of  his  son,  John  Win- 
tlu'op,  who  afterwards  became  Governor  of  Connecticut. 

In  1726  the  inhabitants  of  the  south  precinct  petitioned 
the  town  to  continue  a  reading  and  writing  school  among 
them.  Five  years  later  two  schools  were  asked  for,  but 
the  request  was  not  granted. 

It  is  impossible  to  ascertain  just  when  the  second  school- 
house  was  built ;  but  the  first  reference  we  find  to  it  is  in 
1759.  It  was  situated  on  the  present  Hancock  Street,  and 
was  a  low  building  with  a  pitched  roof.  The  room  itself 
was  square,  having  on  three  sides  seats  for  the  boys  with 
desks  opposite.  On  the  other  side  of  these  desks  was  an 
additional  row  of  seats,  so  that  the  pupils  studied  facing 
each  other.  The  master  stationed  himself  at  a  large  table 
in  the  centre  of  the  room.  As  a  proof  that  good  order 
was  preserved,  we  have  the  testimony  of  Deacon  James 
Humphreys,  who  says :  "  I  once  stood  on  the  place  where 
the  boys  were  writing,  having  my  book  on  the  shelf,  and 
read  tlirough  the  general  Epistle  of  Saint  James  without 
being  interrupted  by  the  Master,  and  not  much  by  the 
boys." 

In  1771  a  new  schoolhouse  was  built  on  Meeting-House 
Hill,  which  was  afterwards  removed,  and  made  over  into  a 


308  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1784. 

dwelling-house,  which  is  still  standing.  "Within  the  next 
few  years  schools  were  established  at  Squantum,  Dorches- 
ter Neck,  on  the  "  upper  country  road,"  on  the  lower  road, 
and  in  the  "  south  end  of  the  town." 

In  these  modern  days  we  are  apt  to  forget  the  inferior 
position  formerly  held  by  women ;  yet  it  is  a  fact  that 
mitil  1784  girls  were  not  considered  worthy  the  same 
privileges  allowed  the  boys  as  regards  education.  In  that 
year  the  town  voted  "that  such  Girls  as  can  read  in  a 
Psalter  be  allowed  to  go  to  the  Grammar  School  from  the 
first  Day  of  June  to  the  first  Day  of  October."  Before 
this  time  the  girls  had  received  what  education  their 
parents  considered  necessary  for  them  at  home,  the  princi- 
pal part  of  which  was  from  the  Assembly's  Catechism. 
On  one  afternoon  each  year  girls  were  admitted  to  the 
public  school  at  the  general  catechising,  and  they  were 
expected  to  answer  at  least  two  questions.  It  is  said  that 
the  master  took  pains  to  propound  the  most  difficult  ques- 
tions to  the  girls,  in  order  that  the  benefits  the  boys 
received  from  his  instruction  might  be  more  apparent. 
There  had  been  what  were  known  as  "dame  schools,"  where 
the  girls  were  taught  reading  and  spelling,  sewing  and 
embroidering,  and  taught  to  make  samplers ;  but  wi'iting, 
arithmetic,  grammar,  and  geography  were  branches  of 
learning  which  were  considered  entirely  superfluous  to  the 
female  mind. 

In  1792  we  find  the  fu-st  entry  on  the  Town  Records  in 
regard  to  the  number  of  children  in  the  town  under  fifteen 
years  of  age.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  the 
expediency  of  dividing  the  town  into  wards,  in  order  to 
make  better  provision  for  schools.  They  reported  that 
there  were  "177  chilcben  north  of  the  meeting-house, 
including  Dorchester  neck ;  from  said  meeting-house  to 
Mr.  Jonathan  Pierce's  on  the  lower  road,  including  said 
Pierce's,  92 ;  from  Mr.  Thomas  Leed's  to  Mr.  John  Capen, 
junr.,  &  to  Mr.  John  Dolbeare's,  inclusive,  111 ;  from  Mr. 


1792.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  309 

Abraham  Pierce's  to  Roxbury  line,  on  the  upper  road  and 
other  parts  adjacent,  172;  total,  552  children." 

The  town  was  divided  the  May  following  into  four 
school  wards,  .£30  being  appropriated  towards  maintaining 
the  school  in  each  ward.  In  1793  it  was  ordered  that  two 
of  these  four  schools  should  be  grammar  schools,  one  of 
which  was  to  be  situated  "near  the  meeting-house,"  and 
also  that  "the  grammar  schools  be  open  for  girls  six 
months  in  the  summer."  On  reconsidering  these  votes, 
however,  it  was  decided  "  to  have  1  grammar  school  near 
the  meeting-house,  and  that  no  girls  be  allowed  to  go 
to  it." 

In  1797  the  town  established  an  annual  school  "near 
the  meeting-house,"  and  another  "  at  the  house  used  as  a 
school  house  in  the  upjjer  road."  Four-  schools  for  girls 
were  also  established  to  be  kept  during  the  summer  season, 
and  the  pujiils  were  to  "  go  to  the  two  schools  that  are  to 
be  kept  during  the  year  at  different  hours,  as  the  Selectmen 
shall  determine."  During  the  next  j-ear  the  "new  brick 
schoolhouse  "  was  built,  "  near  the  meeting-hoase."  This 
afterwards  became  the  present  Mather  School. 

Let  us  pause  at  the  beginning  of  this  nineteenth  century, 
and  take  a  look  backward  at  the  early  teachers  ^  in  the 
Dorchester  schools,  —  at  the  worthy  successors  of  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Waterhouse.  The  second  schoolmaster  of  the 
town  was  Henry  Butler,  who  taught  as  early  as  1648.  He 
received  his  master's  degree  from  Cambridge  University, 
and  came  to  this  country  because  of  his  non-conformity. 
He  afterwards  returned  to  England,  where  he  entered  upon 
the  ministry ;  but  he  suffered  much  from  persecution  and 
fines,  because  of  his  non-conformist  ideas.  He  died  in 
1696,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 

'  The  facts  in  regard  to  the  early  schoolmasters  are  cliiefly  taken  from 
Savage's  Genealogical  Dictionary;  the  Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  vol.  ix.;  and  from 
the  chapter  on  tlie  subject  in  the  History  of  Dorchester  (1859)  written  by 
William  B.  Trask. 


310  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1637. 

The  successor  of  Mr.  Butler  was  Ichabod  Wiswall,  who 
was  born  in  Dorchester  in  1637.  He  entered  Harvard 
College  in  1654,  just  at  the  time  when  the  number  of 
years'  residence  required  for  a  degree  was  lengthened  from 
thi'ee  to  four  years.  Mr.  Wiswall,  together  with  several 
other  members  of  his  class,  left  college  at  the  end  of  tliree 
years,  thus  losing  liis  degree.  He  seems  to  have  taught  in 
the  Dorchester  school  while  at  college,  for  under  date  of 
February  8,  1655,  is  found  the  following  contract  between 
Iiim  and  the  selectmen :  — 

"  First,  that  Ichabod,  w'*"  the  Consent  of  his  Father,  shall 
from  the  7th  of  March  next  Eusuiuge,  vuto  the  end  of  three 
full  years  from  thence  be  compleate  and  ended,  instructe  and 
teach  in  a  free  Schoole  in  Dorchester  all  such  Cheldren  as  by 
the  Inhabitants  shall  be  Committed  vnto  his  Care,  in  Euglish. 
Latiue  and  Greeke  as  from  time  to  time  the  Cheldren  shall  be 
Capable,  and  allso  instruct  them  in  writinge  as  hee  shall  be 
able ;  w'^''  is  to  be  vnderstood  such  Cheldren  as  are  so  fare 
ent"^'*  all  redie  to  kuowe  there  Leters  and  to  spell  some  what ; 
and  also  prouided  the  schoole  howse  from  time  to  time  be  kept 
in  good  order  and  comfortable  for  a  man  to  abide  in,  both  in 
somer  and  in  Winter,  by  prouiding  Fhe  seasonably,  so  that  it 
may  neather  be  preiudiciall  to  master  nor  Scholar  —  and  in  cause 
of  palpable  neglect  and  matter  of  Complaint,  and  not  reformed, 
it  shall  not  binde  the  m'  to  Endanger  his  health. 

"Secondly,  that  the  Selectmen  of  Dorchester  shall,  from 
yeare  to  yeare,  every  yeare  paye  or  cause  to  be  paid  vnto 
Icabod  or  his  Father  by  his  Assignment  the  full  somme  of 
Twentie  Five  Pounds,  two  thirdes  in  wheate,  pease,  or  barlej', 
marchautable,  and  one  thirde  in  Indian,  att  or  before  the  first 
of  March,  dueringe  the  three  yeares,  yearly,  at  price  Currant, 
w"**  is  to  be  vnderstoode  the  price  yv"^  the  generall  Court  shall 
from  time  to  time  appoint." 

Mr.  Wiswall  probably  taught  school  in  Dorchester  for 
three  or  four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  moved  to 
Duxbury,  occupying  at  the  same  time  the  positions  of 
minister  and  schoolmaster  in  that  town.     In  1689  he  went 


1659.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  311 

to  England  as  agent  for  the  Plymouth  Colony;  but  he 
resumed  his  ministerial  duties  on  his  retui-n.  He  died 
at  Duxbury,  July  23,  1700. 

William  Pole  was  the  fourth  schoolmaster  of  the  town. 
He  came  to  Dorchester  in  1630,  and  afterwards  went 
to  Taunton.  He  returned  to  Dorchester,  however,  and 
taught  school  from  1659  until  1668.  Besides  his  service 
to  the  town  as  an  instructor  of  the  young,  Mr.  Pole  occu- 
pied the  position  of  "  Clerk  of  y°  Writs  &  Register  of 
Births,  Deaths,  and  Marriages  in  Dorchester  about  10 
years."     He  died  February  25,  1674. 

The  next  master  of  the  Dorchester  school,  Hope  Ather- 
ton,  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  when  nineteen 
years  of  age.  He  taught  in  Dorchester  during  the  years 
1668-69,  resigning  his  position  to  accept  a  call  to  the 
ministry  at  Hatfield.  In  1676  the  Rev.  Mr.  Atherton 
served  as  chaplain  under  Captain  Turner  in  his  expech- 
tion  against  the  Indians,  near  Greenfield.  It  was  during 
this  service  that  Mr.  Atherton  passed  thi-ough  the  most 
peculiar  incidents  and  exposures  which  finally  caused  his 
death.  After  the  famous  "  Falls  Fight "  he  was  separated 
from  the  army  during  the  confusion  of  retreat.  All  night 
Mr.  Atherton  wandered  up  and  down  among  the  enemies' 
tents;  yet,  much  to  his  surprise,  his  presence  did  not 
appear  to  be  discovered. 

On  the  next  day  captivity  seemed  better  than  starva- 
tion, so  he  boldly  offered  himself  to  the  Indians  as  a 
prisoner.  Much  to  his  bewilderment,  they  made  no 
answer  to  his  proposal,  and  when  he  moved  towards 
them,  they  fled  in  great  fear.  With  affairs  in  this  strange 
concUtion,  Mr.  Atherton  started  down  the  river ;  and  after 
suffering  much  from  fatigue  and  hunger  he  reached  Hat- 
field, where  he  died  in  1677.  The  only  explanation  of 
the  Indians'  strange  conduct  in  avoiding  him  is  that  it 
was  due  to  their  religious  superstitions,  believing  him  to 
be  the  colonists'  God. 


312 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


[Ifi69. 


John  Foster,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Atherton,  besides  being 
one  of  the  most  popular  schoolmasters,  was  a  prominent 
man  in  the  affairs  of  the  town.     He  was  the  son  of  Cap- 


ThelVickcd  maus  'Ponton. 


OR 

A  SERMON 

rPrcacficd  at  ihe   uai-rt   m  Befioa  \n  KaoF.KgUnd  the 
i8cb      diyofthe  »  Moneth    1674,  when  two  aen 
'     were  ijtieuird,  who  had  nmrthirui 
ihcir  Mafter.) 

Wbetdn  is  (bewed 

Tht^exccjfe in  mk^e'dnefs  doth  br'm2, 
untimely  Death. 

tiv  INCREASE     M  jIT  H  E  R ,   Teacher 
of  »  Church  of  Chrirt. 


Prov.  10.  J7.  Tit  (itr  ofih  Lfi  frtlmftlb  Jajis,  tti  tht  juri 
t(  iht  VK^fil  fiJI  it  Ihirintd. 

Eph.  <.  1,  %.  Honturlkj  FitktT  nd  thj  Mtlher  (mttich  m  lit  /i'jf 
C  ommtmjment  witk  prtmlff)  thdt  il  maj  il  9ci  »ttb  ti)te, 
tni ikoa  wiaj ft  livl  Itug  cmthi  Eirlh, 

Fznaad  piucos,  metui  ad  omnes. 

BOSTON, 
Printed"  by  7«1»  Fofttr,     1  6  7  $ 


TITLE    OF    THE    FIRST    BOOK    PRINTED    IN    BOSTON. 

tain  Hopestill  Foster,  and  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1667.  He  tauglit  in  the  Dorchester  school, 
it  is  thought,  during  the  years  1669-74.  In  1675  Mr. 
Foster   opened   a  printing  office,  which  was  the  first   in 


1669]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  313 

Boston.  The  first  book  was  issued  from  tliis  press  in 
1676,  and  the  last  in  1680,  the  enterprise  being  checked 
by  his  untimely  death.  While  at  college  and  in  later 
life,  Mr.  Foster  was  famous  for  the  knowledge  he  acquired 
in  astronomy ;  and  he  employed  a  large  part  of  his  time  in 
making,  calculating,  and  jjub-  /f  /I        a       a 

lishing  almanacs.     In  the  last  YVv^r       /L/\   iJ  'y^ 


one  he  published,  which  was  for 
the  year  1681,  "  he  annexed  an 
ingenious  ilissertation  on  comets  seen  at  Boston  in  Novem- 
ber and  December,  1680."  Tliis  year,  according  to  a  more 
recent  writer,  was  a  remarkable  one  for  comets ;  the  trail 
of  one  of  them  reaching  from  near  the  horizon  to  the 
zenith,  causing  the  good  people  of  the  town  no  small 
amount  of  anxiety. 

Mr.  Foster  was  further  famous,  according  to  Blake,  as 
being  the  one  "  that  made  the  then  Seal  or  Arms  of  y° 
Colony,  namely  an  Indian  with  a  Bow  &  Arrow,  &c." 
There  seems,  however,  to  be  a  chfference  of  opinion  on  tliis 
point,  as  Dr.  Pierce  gives  John  Hull,  the  mint  master, 
the  credit  for  the  design.  It  is  probable  that  Blake  con- 
founded the  engraving  of  the  seal  for  iJiiuting  with  the 
actual  design.  However  that  may  be,  the  original  silver 
seal  of  the  Massachusetts  Comj)any  in  England  was  sent 
over  to  Governor  Endicott  in  1629.  This  was  used  until 
Andros  became  governor,  in  1686,  which  was  about  five 
years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Foster.  It  is  probable  that 
the  seal  was  restored  in  1689,  after  Governor  Andi-os  was 
deposed,  and  put  aside  again  in  1692  when  the  second 
charter  substituted  the  province  seal.  The  colony  seal 
was  adopted  in  1775,  and  five  j^ears  later  the  present  State 
seal.  A  writer  on  this  subject  designates  these  five  seals 
as  the  "  first  charter,"  "  usurpation,"  "  second  charter," 
"  revolution,"  and  "  constitution "  seals.  From  this  it 
would  seem  probable  that  neither  Foster  nor  Hull  drew 
the  fii'st  design,  but  simply  reproduced  in  wood  or  metal. 


314  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1669. 

A  handsome  gravestone  carries  out  the  last  desire  of 
the  accomplished  schoolmaster,  and  proclaims  to  posterity 
the  virtues  aud  achievements  of  the  deceased.  The  foot- 
stone  bears  the  expressive  quotation  from  Ovid :  "  Ars  illi 
sua  Census  Erat,"  —  "Skill  was  his  cash."  His  death 
occurred  September  9,  1681. 

It  seems  strange  in  these  days,  when  there  are  ten  ap- 
plicants for  every  vacancy  in  a  school,  that  the  selectmen 
of  Dorchester  should  have  had  quite  a  difficult  task  to 
find  a  single  candidate  for  Mr.  Foster's  position.  William 
Sumner  and  Deacon  Blake  were  appointed  to  make  in- 
quiries to  that  end ;  but,  in  spite  of  a  faithful  performance 
of  their  duties,  no  schoolmaster  was  found.  The  records 
show  that  later  "  Ensigns  Hall  was  desiered  and  appointed 
to  enquier  after  a  Schole  Master."  A  word  of  encourage- 
ment is  also  added  to  this  entry,  that  "  some  say  ther  may 
be  one  at  bridgwater." 

As  a  result  of  the  endeavors  of  the  committee,  in  1680 
James  Minot  was  procured  to  teach  the  school ;  but  his 
stay  was  brief.  The  next  year  William  Denison  succeeded 
him.  Both  these  men  were  graduates  of  Harvard  College, 
and  both  were  members  of  well-known  families ;  the  latter, 
however,  residing  within  the  Roxbury  limits. 

John  Williams  was  another  school-teacher  who,  wliile 
living  in  Roxbuiy,  closely  identified  liimself  with  Dor- 
chester affairs.  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College 
in  1683.  His  services  as  teacher  in  the  public  school 
extended  over  the  years  1684  and  1685,  until  he  was 
ordained  in  1686  as  the  first  minister  of  Deerfield.  It  will 
be  noticed  that  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  a  schoolmaster 
to  desert  his  scholars  to  enter  the  wider  field  of  preaching. 
This  is  not  remarkable  when  it  is  remembered  that  these 
two  classes  of  men  were  those  who  commonly  received  a 
liberal  education,  and  were  thus  qualified  to  adopt  either 
preaching  or  teaching  as  they  preferred.  Mr.  Williams  at 
his  new  post  of  duty  passed  through  a  most  terrible  ex- 


1B86.] 


DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  315 


perience  at  the  taking  of  Deerfield  by  the  French  and 
Indians.  He  was  taken  prisoner  with  his  entire  family, 
and  carried  to  Canada.  There  he  was  kept  in  captivity 
for  nearly  two  years,  during  which  period  every  effort  was 
made  to  convert  himself  and  his  family  to  Catholicism. 
With  the  exception  of  his  little  daughter  Eunice,  who 
was  but  ten  years  old,  all  stubbornly  resisted ;  and  when 
they  were  redeemed  in  1706,  they  were  proud  in  their 
strength.  The  little  Eunice,  however,  had  been  won  over 
by  the  French  fathers,  and  no  sum  of  money  would  be 
accepted  for  her  ransom.  She  remained  in  Canada,  there- 
fore, forgetting  her  native  language  and  her  people,  and 
finally  married  one  of  the  Indians  among  whom  she  con- 
stantly was.     Mr.  Williams  died  in  1729. 

Jonathan  Pierpont,  the  next  teacher,  took  his  degree  at 
Harvard  when  twenty  years  of  age.  He  began  teaching 
immediately,  but  a  year  later  followed  in  the  footsteps  of 
his  predecessors,  and  entered  the  ministry.  After  twenty 
years'  preaching  at  Reading,  Mr.  Pierpont  died  in  1709. 

Edward  Mills,  Mr.  Pierpont's  successor,  was  a  classmate 
of  his  at  Harvard  College.  He  taught  the  school  until 
1692,  resigning  his  position  in  Dorchester  to  continue  his 
teaching  in  Boston.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  the 
famous  Captain  Richard  Davenport,  who  was  the  standard- 
bearer  of  the  company  of  which  Endicott  was  the  com- 
mander at  the  time  when  he  cut  the  red  cross  from  the 
flag  as  a  relic  of  Popish  superstition.  Mrs.  Mills's  given 
name  was  Truecross,  which  would  seem  to  indicate  that 
Captain  Davenport  sided  with  his  testy  commander. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Mills  another  Harvard 
graduate,  this  time  of  the  class  of  1691,  was  invited  to 
fill  the  vacant  schoolmaster's-shoes.  Josej^h  Lord  was  but 
nineteen  years  old  at  the  time ;  but  he  gave  great  satisfac- 
tion during  the  three  years  he  served.  It  is  probable  that 
he  would  have  remained  at  the  head  of  the  school  longer, 
had  he  not  been  called  away  for  more  arduous  labor.     It 


316  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1698. 

was  just  at  this  time  that  the  chui'ch  was  gathering  iu 
Dorchester  to  move  to  South  Carolina ;  and  Mr.  Lord  was 
ordained  as  their  pastor.  Heie  he  remained  for  more  than 
twenty  years,  when  he  moved  to  Chatham,  dj-ing  there 
after  a  long  pastorate  of  twenty-eight  years. 

John  Robinson,  who  was  born  in  Dorchester  in  1675, 
then  took  charge  of  the  school  for  one  year.  His  term  as 
a  teacher  was  very  brief ;  but  he  served  a  long  and  faithful 
period  as  minister  at  Duxbury,  and  married  a  daughter  of 
the  old  schoolmaster,  Ichabod  Wiswall.  He  was  succeeded 
by  John  Swift,  who  also  taught  but  a  short  time. 

Richard  Billings  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in 
1698.  He  took  charge  of  the  school  immediately  after 
his  graduation,  and  continued  teacliing  for  two  years.  In 
1704  Mr  Billings  was  ordained  minister  at  Little  Comp- 
ton,  R.  I.,  where  he  became  one  of  the  most  popular 
clergymen  of  his  time.  He  was  extremely  courteous  and 
gracious  in  his  bearing  toward  every  one,  and  rendered 
himself  as  agreeable  as  he  was  useful.  His  knowledge  of 
medicine  was  of  much  value  to  his  parishioner,  who  had 
great  confidence  in  their  beloved  minister's  powers  to 
minister  to  their  physical  as  well  as  spiritual  welfare. 
The  town  of  Little  Compton  was  the  rendezvous  of  many 
Sogkonate  Indians,  Avho  became  so  attached  to  Mr.  Bill- 
ings that  at  his  suggestion  they  organized  a  church  of  their 
own,  and  assembled  in  an  orderly  manner  once  a  month  to 
listen  to  Mr.  Billings's  teachings.  It  is  even  said  that  their 
squaw  sachem,  Awashonks,  expressed  a  strong  desire  to 
have  Mr.  Billings  become  the  sachem-consort  of  the  tribe, 
and  was  much  surprised  and  mortified  to  learn  that  he 
preferred  the  position  he  then  held.  Mr.  Billings  died 
in  1748. 

The  next  teacher  in  the  "  free  schoole  "  was  Samuel 
Wiswall,  who  was  graduated  at  Harvai-d  College  in  1691. 
Mr.  Wiswall  was  a  close  student  and  an  earnest  worker, 
occasionally  preaching  in  addition  to  his  regular  duties  as 


1706.]  DOECHESTER   SCHOOLS.  317 

schoolmaster.  In  1705  he  embarked  on  a  ship  in  the 
capacity  of  chaplain,  and  together  with  all  on  board  was 
taken  captive  by  the  Spaniards,  and  carried  to  Martinico. 
Here  he  passed  thi-ough  a  terrible  sickness,  finally  recover 
ing  enough  to  return  to  America.  He  then  officiated  as 
pastor  in  Nantucket,  and  later  in  Edgartown,  until  his 
•unexpected  death  December  23,  1746. 

The  following  item  in  the  accounts  of  the  town  for 
1706  is  the  only  proof  we  have  that  Elijah  Danforth 
taught  the  Dorchester  school  for  a  time :  "  Paid  to  Mr. 
Danforth,  schoolmaster,  £15."  He  was  also  a  physician 
of  no  little  reputation,  being  the  official  medical  adviser 
at  Castle  William,  the  present  Fort  Independence.  Mr. 
Danforth  left  the  First  Church  his  great  silver  tankard 
for  use  at  communion,  and  this  vessel  is  still  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Church.  Mr.  Danforth  was  graduated  at 
Harvard  College  in  1703,  and  died  in  1736. 

Peter  Thacher,  of  Milton,  taught  the  school  for  the 
period  of  1706-7,  being  followed  by  Ebenezer  Devotion. 
After  a  short  service,  the  latter  resigned,  and  Samuel 
Fiske  took  his  place,  remaining  during  1710-11.  Eben- 
ezer White  then  assumed  the  position,  being  the  village 
schoolmaster  for  four  years.  All  of  these  men  were 
graduates  of  Harvard  College,  and  all  relinquished  the 
profession  of  teacliing  to  become  ministers. 

Samuel  Danforth,  brother  of  Elijah,  already  mentioned, 
was  nearly  thirteen  years  his  junior.  He  also  was  gradu- 
ated at  Harvard  College,  being  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1715.  He  taught  school  soon  after  graduation,  hokUng 
the  position  until  he  was  made  president  of  His  Majesty's 
CouncU  for  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  in  New 
England,  —  an  office  which  he  held  for  several  years.  He 
was  a  judge  of  the  Probate  Court  and  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  for  IMiddlesex  County,  and  in  1774  was 
elected  a  Mandamus  Counsellor.  He  took  oath  to  perform 
the  offices  of  this  latter  position,  but,  together  with  Judge 


318  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1724. 

Lee  and  Thomas  Oliver,  who  had  also  been  elected  to  the 
same  office,  he  was  compelled  by  popular  opinion  publicly 
to  resign  it  from  the  steps  of  the  old  court/-house  in  Cam- 
bridge. It  is  said  that  the  whole  town  was  present  on 
this  occasion  to  receive  the  recantation.  Mr.  Danforth, 
however,  did  not  give  up  his  position  as  judge,  serving 
his  townspeople  in  that  capacity  for  thirty-four  years.  He 
died  October  27,  1777. 

Daniel  Witham  wielded  the  rod  about  1724.  He  was 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1718,  and  taught  for  a 
while  at  Gloucester.  He  returned  to  the  latter  town 
after  a  brief  stay,  where  he  held  numerous  positions  of 
trust.; — Isaac  Billings,  of  Milton,  filled  the  place  left 
vacant  by  Mr.  Witham's  departure,  but  resigned  the  next 
year,  being  succeeded  by  Phillips  Payson.  The  exact 
time  of  the  latter's  service  is  uncertain,  but  it  was  prob- 
ably from  172-4  until  1729,  when  Samuel  Moseley  took  the 
position.  —  Sujjply  Clap  was  the  next  incumbent,  teach- 
ing at  about  1731.  After  teaching  school  for  a  short  time 
he  began  preaching,  and  was  admitted  to  the  church  in 
Dorchester  in  August,  1733.  It  was  a  coincidence  that  he 
should  have  preached  his  first  sermon  at  Castle  William, 
where  Roger  Clajj,  his  great-grandfather  once  was  the 
commander.  These  last  four  teachers  were  all  graduates 
of  Harvard  College. 

Noah  Clap  was  one  of  the  most  important  characters  of 
the  town  during  his  day.  His  father  was  Deacon  Jona- 
than Clap;  his  grandfather  was  Nathaniel  Clap,  whom 
Blake  has  called  "  a  choice  man,"  and  his  great  grand- 
father, Nicholas  Clap,  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in 
Dorchester.  After  his  graduation  at  Harvard  College  in 
1735,  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  Mr.  Clap  studied  for  the 
ministry,  and  preached  for  a  short  period ;  but  the  con- 
finement finally  proved  too  great  for  his  delicate  health. 
"  Master  Noah  "  was  the  well-known  title  by  which  Mr. 
Clap  was  recognized  as  master  of  the  Dorchester  grammar 


1735.]  DOKCHESTEE   SCHOOLS.  319 

school  at  various  times,  for  nearly  twenty  years,  and  as 
"Master  Noah"  he  has  come  clown  to  posterity.  Mr. 
Clap  was  assessor  for  over  thirty  years,  and  town  clerk 
for  nearly  forty-seven.  Wliile  serving  in  tliis  capacity 
his  wonderful  memory  proved  of  great  assistance ;  for  on 
one  occasion,  when  his  house  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  a 
part  of  the  town  records  destroyed,  he  replaced  in  great 
measure  the  missing  leaves.  His  death  occurred  April 
10,  1799. 

The  sermon  preached  on  tliis  occasion  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Harris  contains  an  excellent  summing  up  of  Ms  char- 
acter.    Dr.  Harris  said :  — 

' '  I  never  knew  a  person  farther  removed  from  every  appear- 
ance of  duplicity,  or  more  singularly  remarkable  for  a  cautious- 
ness in  speech  and  inviolable  veracity.  He  was  not  fond  of 
affirmations,  and  hesitated  even  as  to  the  accm\icy  of  his  own 
judgment  and  the  certainty  of  his  own  information.  This 
singular  cautiousness  was  the  result  of  the  most  inflexible  re- 
verence for  truth.  It  was  accompanied  by  a  meek,  humble, 
diffident,  and  modest  -spirit,  and  a  plain,  undisguised,  un- 
affected artlessness  of  manner.  ...  A  very  observable  and 
lovely  trait  in  his  character  was  his  candor  and  charitableness 
in  judging  of  others.  Of  this  he  gave  the  most  pleasing  proofs 
in  his  unwillingness  even  to  hear  anything  to  the  disadvantage 
of  persons.  He  would  never  patiently  listen  to  the  reports 
which  might  be  in  chculation  of  the  misconduct  of  any ;  and 
when  they  were  mentioned  in  his  presence,  he  was  always 
ready  to  palliate  or  excuse  what  he  could  not  commend, 
and  seemed  averse  to  believe  ill  news,  flying  rumors,  and  petty 
scandal.  .  .  .  His  guarded  declarations  had  all  the  fidelity 
and  certainty  of  printed  documents." 

Josiah  Pierce,  a  classmate  of  Mr.  Clap's  at  Harvard 
College,  became  master  of  the  school  in  1738.  He  later 
moved  to  Hadley,  where  he  also  taught  school,  and  some- 
times preached.  It  is  said  that  he  was  "  a  good  penman, 
accurate  in  his  accounts,  and  left  several  interleaved 
almanacks."  He  died  February  10,  1788. 
18 


320  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEK.  [1738. 

Philip  Curtis  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  of  his 
name  to  enter  Harvard  College,  graduating  in  1738.  After 
his  graduation  Mr.  Cui-tis  taught  the  Dorchester  school  for 
two  years,  at  the  same  time  studying  theology  with  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Bowman  at  Dorchester.  His  fii-st  appearance  in 
the  pulpit  was  in  Stoughtouliaiu,  the  present  town  of 
Sharon  ;  and  a  year  later,  in  1742,  he  was  ordained  minister 
in  that  place.  As  Mr.  Curtis's  family  grew  up  he  educated 
them  himself,  and  finally  opened  a  school,  where  he  in- 
structed the  chikb'en  of  liis  parishioners  gratuitously.  He 
was  exceedingly  generous  in  all  his  actions,  contributing 
land  and  money  to  the  church  in  spite  of  the  difficulty  he 
had  in  finding  the  means  to  support  his  family.  He  died 
November  22,  1797.  Thomas  Jones,  who  succeeded  Mr. 
Curtis,  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1741,  and 
directed  the  youth  in  the  paths  of  learning  during  this 
year,  and  again  in  1742.     He  also  entered  the  ministry. 

Edward  Bass  entered  Harvard  College  when  but  thirteen 
years  of  age,  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1744. 
He  decided  to  enter  the  ministry,  but  taught  school  while 
in  preparation  for  his  profession.  For  four  years  Mr.  Bass 
resided  at  Harvard  College,  stud;ying  theology,  and  increas- 
ing his  general  knowledge ;  and  in  1751  he  was  ordained 
assistant  minister  of  St.  Paul's  (Ejjiscopal)  Church  at 
Newburyport.  In  1752  he  went  to  England,  where  he  was 
ordained  by  the  bishop  of  London,  Dr.  Thomas  Sherlock. 
In  September  of  this  year  he  returned  to  New  England, 
and  became  the  minister  of  the  church  at  Newbury.  In 
1754  Mr.  Bass  received  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1796 
he  was  chosen  the  first  bishop  of  Massachusetts,  being  con- 
secrated the  following  year  in  Philadelphia ;  and  the  Epis- 
copal churches  of  Rhode  Island  and  New  Hampshire  also 
chose  him  for  their  bishop.  He  died  September  10,  1803, 
after  a  short  illness.  Mr.  Bass  was  famous  for  his  learn- 
ing, accomplishments,  high   character,  and  wit.     As   an 


1748.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  321 

illustration  of  his  sense  of  humor,  he  is  said  to  have  replied 
facetiously  to  the  inquiry  as  to  the  reason  he  did  not  settle 
in  his  native  town,  that  the  waters  of  Dorchester  were  not 
deep  enough  for  a  bass  to  swim  in,  and  therefore  he  went 
to  the  Merrimac. 

James  Humphi-ey  taught  the  school  in  1748.  Later,  Mr. 
Humphrey  took  charge  of  the  church  at  Pequoiag,  the 
present  town  of  Athol,  and  in  this  position  passed  thi-ough 
many  exciting  incidents.  Pequoiag  was  a  frontier  town, 
and  was  thus  an  easy  mark  for  the  attacks  of  the  Indians. 
To  quote  from  Mr.  Humphrey  himself,  "  It  was  necessary 
to  station  sentinels  at  the  entrance  of  the  church  on  the 
Sabbath,  to  avoid  a  surprise  from  our  devouring  enemy, 
whilst  others  were  worshipping  God  within."  For  three 
years  Mr.  Humplu-ey  was  obliged  to  carry  his  gun  with 
him  to  the  pulpit,  and  preach  with  it  by  his  side.  He  died 
May  8,  1796.  Pelatiah  Glover,  the  next  schoolmaster  of 
whom  we  have  record,  officiated  during  the  year  17.56. 
He  cUed  April  3,  1770. 

James  Baker  was  born  Sei^tember  5,  1739,  and  owing  to 
the  gentleness  of  liis  disposition,  his  jaarents  were  induced 
to  lit  him  for  the  ministry.  With  tliis  in  view  he  went 
tln-ough  Harvard  College,  graduating  in  1760,  and  then 
began  to  study  theology  with  the  Rev.  Jonathan  Bowman, 
the  minister  of  Dorchester,  whose  son-in-law  he  afterwards 
became.  While  fitting  for  his  profession,  Mr.  Baker  taught 
school,  and  this  delayed  him  in  getting  started  in  the  mini- 
stry. It  soon  became  apparent  that  his  extreme  diffidence 
would  prevent  him  from  performing  the  duties  of  a  mini- 
ster; so  he  voluntarily  gave  up  the  idea,  and  began  to 
study  medicine,  teaching  school  at  intervals  during  tliis 
period.  The  profession  of  medicine,  however,  proved  dis- 
tasteful to  him  ;  and  he  laid  in  a  stock  of  merchandise,  and 
opened  a  store.  In  1780,  he  saw  that  there  were  great 
possibilities  in  the  chocolate  business ;  so  he  closed  his  store, 
and  began  to  manufactirre  chocolate.     The  success  of  this 


822  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1765. 

undertaking  was  remarkable,  and  "  Baker's  Chocolate " 
has  been  manufactui-ed  ever  since,  now  being  known  in  all 
parts  of  the  world.  By  careful  attention  to  his  business, 
and  fortunate  investments,  Mr.  Baker  became  a  rich  man, 
and  retired  on  his  wealth.  The  latter  part  of  liis  life  was 
devoted  to  reading  and  study  in  his  library.  He  died  Jan- 
uary 2,  1825. 

Daniel  Leeds,  known  during  his  connection  with  the 
school  as  "  Master  Leeds,"  taught  for  about  fifteen  years, 
most  of  the  time  on  Meeting-House  Hill.  He  died  June 
7, 1790.  — William  Bowman,  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Jonathan 
Bowman,  was  in  charge  of  the  school  in  1765. 

Among  the  best  known  of  the  early  schoolmasters  was 
Samuel  Coolidge,  who  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College 
at  the  early  age  of  eighteen.  He  began  teaching  in  Dor- 
chester at  once,  and  continued  in  the  cajjacity  of  school- 
master, at  different  times,  dawn  to  1789,  the  year  before 
he  died.  From  1780  to  1789  Mr.  Coolidge  served  on  the 
board  of  selectmen  and  assessors,  being  chairman  of  the 
board  for  the  last  four  years.  He  was  also  town  treasurer 
for  1787-89.  He  was  famous  for  his  high  attainments  as 
a  scholar  and  teacher,  and  for  liis  beautiful  jjcnmanship. 
Mr.  Coolidge  died  February  28,  1790.  For  many  years 
his  widow  taught  a  school  for  small  childi'cn  in  the  town, 
and  subsequently  married  her  deceased  husband's  brother. 
Colonel  Moses  Coolidge,  a  prominent  citizen  of  Watertown. 

Samuel  Pierce,  better  known  among  his  contemj^oraries 
as  "  Colonel  Samuel,"  has  already  been  mentioned  ^  in  con- 
nection with  the  important  services  he  did  his  native  town 
in  other  pursuits  than  that  of  school-teaching.  We  learn 
from  his  diary,  however,  that  on  February  1,  1773,  he 
began  to  teach  school  at  "£3,  5s.  per  week." 

Onesiphorus  Tileston  has  left  but  scanty  records  behind 
him.     We  only  know  that  he  was  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1774,  and  taught  school  in  Dorchester  during 
the  following  year.     He  died  October  6,  1809. 
1  Ante,  p.  158. 


1775.]  DORCHESTEK   SCHOOLS.  323 

Edward  Hutchinson  Roljbins  was  graduated  from  Har- 
vard College  in  1775,  and  it  is  supposed  that  he  taught  for 
a  brief  period  immediately  after  his  graduation.  He  was 
a  descendant,  on  liis  mother's  side,  of  the  famous  Mrs.  Ann 
Hutchinson.  iVIr.  Robbins  decided  to  enter  the  law  for  his 
profession,  and  after  his  graduation  he  studied  with  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  attorneys  of  his  time,  Oakes  Angier, 
Esq.  In  1781  he  was  elected  to  represent  Milton  in  the 
Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives,  and  in  1793  he 
was  chosen  speaker,  a  position  which  he  held  for  nine  suc- 
cessive years.  In  1802  greater  honors  came  to  Mr.  Robbins, 
being  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State.  He  was 
afterwards  Commissioner  of  the  Land  Office,  a  member  of 
the  Committee  of  Defence,  and  Judge  of  Probate  for  Nor- 
folk County,  the  latter  being  a  position  which  he  held  until 
his  death,  December  29,  1829.  Mr.  Robbins  was  espe- 
cially prominent  for  his  integrity  and  benevolence. 

Oliver  Everett  was  graduated  from  Harvard  College 
twenty-seven  years  later,  teaching  in  the  Dorchester  school 
while  in  college.  Later  he  became  pastor  of  the  New  South 
Church  in  Boston,  but  was  obliged  to  resign  his  position 
after  ten  years'  service  because  of  ill  health.  In  1799  Mr. 
Everett  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas 
in  Norfolk  County,  holding  this  office  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  December  19,  1802.  He  acquired  a  high 
reputation  for  the  extraordinary  powers  of  his  mind,  a 
characteristic  which  he  bequeathed  to  his  son,  the  Hon. 
Edward  Everett. 

Aaron  Smith  was  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in 
1777,  and  taught  school  in  Dorchester  immediately  after. 
He  afterwards  studied  divinity,  and  some  time  later  de- 
parted for  the  West  Indies.  This  was  the  last  that  was 
heard  of  him ;  but  as  he  declared  that  he  would  not 
return  until  he  had  filled  his  stocking  with  gold,  we 
may  surmise  that  he  was  unsuccessful  in  his  search  after 
wealth. 


324  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1777. 

Philip  Draper  taught  one  of  the  Dorchester  schools  soon 
after  his  graduation  from  Harvard  College  in  1780.  He 
held  liis  position  for  some  years,  but  then  adopted  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  for  his  profession.  He  died  March  21, 
1817. 

Samuel  Shuttlesworth  was  one  of  the  early  school- 
masters of  the  town,  and  taught  probably  soon  after  his 
graduation  from  Harvard  College  in  1777.  He  entered 
the  ministry,  and  later  took  ujj  the  practice  of  law.  His 
death  occurred  in  October,  183-1. 

Samuel  Cheney,  who  was  graduated  from  Harvard  Col- 
lege in  1767,  taught  school  in  Dorchester  for  some  time. 
He  afterwards  went  to  the  Eliot  School,  Boston.  He  died 
November,  1820.  —  Jonathan  Bird  began  teaching  about 
1782,  the  year  of  his  graduation  from  Harvard  College,  in 
a  dwelling-house  on  the  corner  of  what  are  now  Sumner 
and  Cottage  Sti-eets.  For  some  years  he  was  justice  of  the 
peace  for  the  county  of  Suffolk.  He  died  November  24, 
1809. 

It  is  not  definitely  known  how  long  Theophilus  Capen 
served  as  master  of  the  school,  but  he  began  teaching  there 
soon  after  his  graduation  at  Harvard  College  in  1782.  His 
father.  Deacon  Jonathan  Capen,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Dorches- 
ter, but  moved  to  Stoughton.  Deacon  Capen,  who  at  this 
time  was  a  large  land-owner  in  Stoughton,  and  agent 
under  the  colonial  government  for  the  Ponkapoag  Indians, 
intended  to  fit  liis  son  for  the  ministry  ;  soon  after  his 
graduation,  therefore,  Theophilus  began  the  study  of  the- 
ology with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Adams,  of  Stoughton.  He  spent 
much  time  in  preparation,  and  wrote  many  valuable  and 
forcible  sermons,  but  was  compelled  to  give  up  his  chosen 
profession  because  of  the  weakness  of  his  voice.  He 
entered  business  for  a  short  time ;  but  in  1811  he  again 
took  up  teaching,  and  continued  at  this  for  several  years. 
The  latter  part  of  his  life  Mr.  Capen  devoted  to  farming  ; 
he  died  in  1842.     He  inherited  the  many  excellent  qual- 


1783.]  DORCHESTER    SCHOOLS.  325 

ities  wliich  had  marked  the  earlier  members  of  his  family, 
iind  was  a  worthy  citizen  of  the  town. 

Daniel  Leeds,  Jr.,  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  school- 
house  built  in  the  Lower  Mills  village  in  1802.  He  was 
o-raduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1783,  and  died  August 
19,  1811.  We  have  the  following  excellent  description  of 
the  Lower  Mills  schoolhouse :  — 

"  It  waa  perhaps  20  feet  by  30,  —  a  half-moon  entry,  a  dig- 
nified desk,  boys  one  side  (the  right  going  in),  girls  the  other, 
old-fashioned  seats  for  one  or  two  each,  a  cast-non  wood  stove 
midway  the  aisle,  in  winter ;  a  trap  door  with  a  ring  to  lift,  to 
go  down  cellar  for  wood,  abundance  of  smoke  sometimes,  but 
none  too  much  fire,  open  front  yard  down  to  the  road,  with 
rocks,  apple-trees,  and  pathways,  as  one  might  say,  in  primitive 
state.  Here  was  fun,  play,  and  plenty  of  exercise,  and  in  the 
house,  no  doubt,  some  good  teaching  and  scholarship." 

Moses  Everett,  Jr.,  taught  on  the  "  upper  road,"  in  what 
is  now  the  Gibson  School  district.  He  afterwards 
moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  died  November  30,  1814. — Eben- 
ezer  Everett,  brother  to  Moses,  was  gi-aduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1806,  and  taught  the  school  in  the  second  dis- 
trict. This,  during  the  cold  season,  was  kept  on  the 
"  lower  road,"  now  Adams  Street,  and  the  rest  of  the  year 
in  the  brick  schoolhouse  on  Meeting-House  Hill. 

Lemuel  Crane  was  born  in  Milton.  His  parents  re- 
moved to  Canton  when  he  was  a  child;  and  he  spent 
nearly  seven  years  in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Dunbar,  the  minister  of  the  town.  In  1776  he  returned 
to  Dorchester,  and  enlisted  in  the  militia,  being  a  member 
of  the  company  detailed  to  guard  Burgoyne's  troops, 
which  were  at  that  time  prisoners  of  war  at  Cambridge. 
After  the  war  Mr.  Crane  spent  much  of  his  time  in  farm- 
ing, being  especially  interested  in  the  cultivation  of 
apples.  He  taught  the  first  winter  school  which  was 
established  in  his  neighborhood  from  1790  to  1797,  and 
besides  this,  instructed  the  apprentices  in  the  paper  mills. 


326  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK.  [1791. 

and  such  other  boys  as  were  so  inclined,  in  an  evening 
school.  He  also  conducted  a  singing  school,  being  blessed 
with  a  "sweet,  tuneful  voice."  Mr.  Crane  held  many 
offices  in  the  town,  being  at  different  times  collector  of 
the  taxes,  selectman  and  assessor,  rejjresentative  to  the 
General  Court,  surveyor  of  the  highways,  and  a  member 
of  the  district  school  committee.  He  died  November  10, 
1817,  at  the  age  of  sixty-one,  —  an  unusually  short  life 
when  compared  with  other  members  of  his  family.  At 
one  time  he  had  living  two  grandmothers,  two  great-grand- 
mothers, and  one  great>-great-grandmother.  Mr.  Crane  is 
described  as  "  modest  and  unassuming  in  his  deportment, 
firm  in  his  opinions,  industrious  and  enterprising  in  busi- 
ness, conscientious,  tolerant,  and  liberal  in  his  religious 
views,  republican  in  politics,  a  pleasant  friend,  and  an 
honest  man." 

Francis  Perry  taught  in  the  "south  school,"  in  Dor- 
chester, some  time  previous  to  June  11,  1791.  In  a  letter 
Mr.  Perry  states  that  his  salary  was  X45,  of  which  he 
had  to  pay  £19,10s.  for  board,  and  ,£12  for  clotliing,  leav- 
ing him  but  13s. 10(^.  for  liis  other  expenses.  Little  can  be 
learned  of  Mr.  Perry's  life  and  death.  —  Joseph  Gardner 
Andrews  was  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1785. 
He  was  a  2:)hysician,  but  also  taught  in  the  school  until  his 
appointment  in  the  Federal  army.  The  date  of  his  death 
is  uncertain. 

Samuel  Topliff,  a  member  of  one  of  Dorchester's  oldest 
and  most  respected  families,  had  charge  of  one  of  the 
town  schools  about  1793.  He  was  later  a  merchant  in 
Eastport,  Maine,  and  afterwards  moved  to  the  West, 
where  he  died  September  5,  1845.  Mr.  Topliff  was 
graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1795. 

James  Blake  Howe  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  new 
brick  schoolhouse  which  was  built  on  Meeting-House 
Hill  in  1796.  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  College 
in  1794,  and  began  teaching  soon  after  in  the  old  wooden 


1794.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  327 

building  on  the  west  side  of  the  hill.  He  moved  into  the 
brick  house  with  his  pupils,  on  its  completion,  but  later 
became  an  Episcopal  clergyman.  He  died  September  17, 
1844. 

It  was  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Howe,  and  Mr.  Allen 
(a  later  teacher)  that  the  Hon.  Edward  Everett  received 
his  early  education.  While  in  one  of  these  schools,  as  a 
boy,  Mr.  Everett  recited  a  poem  wliich  was  written  for 
him  by  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris.  Whether  the 
youthful  orator  showed  promise  at  this  time  of  his  future 
greatness  is  not  stated ;  but  certain  it  is  that  his  recita- 
tion of  this  poem  produced  a  most  favorable  effect  upon 
his  hearers.  The  expression  "  little  roan  "  refers  to  the 
color  of  the  speaker's  hair.     The  poem  is  as  follows :  — 

Pray,  how  should  I,  a  little  lad, 

In  speaking  make  a  figure  ? 
You  're  only  joking,  I  'm  afraid,  — 

Do  wait  till  I  am  bigger. 
But  since  }  ou  wisli  to  hear  my  part, 

And  urge  me  to  begin  it, 
I  '11  strive  for  praise,  with  all  my  heart, 

Though  small  the  hope  to  win  it. 
I  '11  tell  a  tale  how  Farmer  John 

A  little  roan-colt  bred,  sir. 
And  every  night  and  every  morn 

He  watered  and  he  fed,  sir. 
Said  Neighbor  Joe  to  Farmer  John, 

"  Are  n't  you  a  silly  dolt,  sir  ?  " 
Said  Farmer  John  to  Neighbor  Joe, 

''  I  '11  bring  my  little  roan  up, 
Not  for  the  good  he  now  can  do, 

But  will  when  he  's  grown  up." 
The  moral  you  can  well  espy. 

To  keep  the  tale  from  spoiling : 
The  little  colt,  you  think,  is  I, — 

I  know  it  by  your  smiling. 
And  now,  my  friends,  please  to  excuse 

My  lisping  and  my  stammers ; 
I,  for  this  once,  have  done  my  best, 

And  so  —  I  '11  make  my  manners.' 

1  Loring's  Hundred  Orators. 


328  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1800. 

Samuel  Veazie  succeeded  Mr.  Howe  in  the  brick  school- 
house.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  in  the  class  of 
1800.  After  teaching  school  for  a  short  period  he  de- 
cided to  enter  the  ministry.  It  was  not  long  after  this 
that  Mr.  Veazie's  health  began  to  decline  rapidly,  and  it 
was  soon  apparent  that  consumjation  had  seized  hold  upon 
him.  While  very  weak,  and  at  the  point  of  death,  the 
house  in  wliich  he  was  confined  caught  fire ;  and  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  he  was  removed  to  a  neighboring 
house,  being  exposed  in  one  of  the  most  severe  snow- 
storms of  the  season.  The  exertion  and  exposure  some- 
what hastened  his  death,  wliicli  occurred  the  next  day, 
February  6,  1809. 

Edward  Holden  first  taught  in  Milton ;  but  he  later 
moved  to  the  Lower  Mills,  where  he  had  charge  of  a 
school,  about  1799,  in  the  house  of  General  Stephen 
Badlam,  which  was  situated  at  the  corner  of  the  present 
Washington  and  River  Streets.  He  subsequently  entered 
business.  His  death  occurred  November  16, 1823.  • —  Ben- 
jamin Vinton  was  master  for  a  brief  term.  He  was  grad- 
uated at  Harvard  College  in  1795,  and  made  medicine  his 
profession,  being  a  sm-geon  during  the  so-called  war  with 
France  in  1799.  He  died  May  11, 1813.  —  Samuel  Goidd, 
who  taught  about  this  time,  moved  to  West  Roxbury  when 
quite  yoiuig,  and  later  became  a  doctor,  practising  in  Need- 
ham.  After  the  death  of  his  father  Dr.  Gould  returned  to 
the  family  homestead,  and  divided  his  time  between  ad- 
ministering to  the  minds  and  to  the  bodies.  He  was  a 
thoroughly  intelligent  man,  and  was  devoted  to  literature. 
It  became  a  common  saying  among  liis  neighbors,  that  to 
be  "  as  polite  as  Dr.  Gould "  was  to  approach  perfection 
in  that  branch  of  education.  His  death  occurred  No- 
vember 13,  1845. 

Benjamin  Heaton,  a  graduate  of  Brown  University, 
taught  in  the  Butler  School  during  the  winters  of  1798- 
99,  and,  owing  to  his  extreme  near-sightedness,  was  the 


1802]  DORCHESTEll   SCHOOLS.  329 

victim  of  many  school-boy  pranks.  While  never  actually 
ordained  as  a  minister,  Mr.  Heaton  often  preached  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  absent  pastors.  His  brother  Nathaniel  is  said 
to  have  published  a  spelling  book  which  bears  his  name. 
Mr.  Heaton  died  June  8,  1800.  A  Mr.  Peck  succeeded 
Mr.  Heaton. 

William  Montague  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College 
in  1784,  and  taught  in  what  later  became  the  Butler  School 
in  1800-1.  Mr.  Montague  later  became  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  in  Boston,  in  1787,  and  soon  after  paid  a  visit  to 
England,  being  the  first  Episcopal  clergyman  ordained  in 
America  who  preached  in  an  English  pulpit.  He  died 
July  22,  1833. 

William  Chandler  taught  in  the  second  district  in  1802. 
Mr.  Chandler  was  another  of  the  many  graduates  of  Har- 
vard College,  and  was  one  of  the  most  careful  scholars 
who  served  as  masters  of  the  Dorchester  schools.  He  was 
especially  successful  as  a  strict  disciplinarian,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  he  had  a  very  weak  constitution.  He  died 
in  1850. 

Pearley  Lyon  taught  in  the  Butler  School  in  1801—3, 
and  died  February  11,  1841.  "He  was  liberal  and  public- 
spirited,  and  much  esteemed  by  his  fellow-citizens." —  Lloyd 
Bbwers  Hall  was  graduated  at  Brown  University  in  1794, 
and  taught  the  new  school  at  the  Lower  Mills  Village  in 
1808.  His  death  occurred  in  1835.  —  Wilkes  Allen  was 
the  first  teacher  in  the  brick  schoolhouse  in  the  first  dis- 
trict, in  1802.  Later  he  moved  to  Chelmsford,  where  he 
preached  for  thirty  years.  He  wrote  a  history  of  that 
town,  which  is  now  a  rare  book.  He  received  his  degree 
from  Harvard  College  in  1801,  and  died  December  2, 
1845.  —  Abner  Gardner  deserves  brief  mention  as  a 
teacher  in  the  Dorchester  schools.  He  was  a  Harvard 
graduate ;  and  after  spending  several  years  of  liis  life  as 
a  schoolmaster,  he  became  a  merchant.  He  died  March 
29,  1818. 


330  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1804. 

Enocb  Pratt  was  giaduated  at  Brown  University  in  1803, 
and  taught  in  the  brick  scboolhouse  near  tbe  Old  Burying- 
Ground  in  1804,  while  studying  for  the  ministry.  Mr. 
Pratt  was  also  a  writer  of  no  little  merit. 

Griffin  Child  taught  in  the  Butler  School  from  1803  to 
1806,  being  tbe  last  teacher  who  officiated  in  the  old  school- 
house.  He  received  thirteen  dollars  a  month  and  board  for 
the  six  winter  months,  the  town  paying  two  dollars  a  week 
for  the  board.  He  afterwards  taught  the  school  at  the 
Lower  Mills,  and  later  at  Jamaica  Plain.  Hon.  Ebenezer 
Everett  says  that,  at  the  examination  of  the  schools  in 
Dorchester  in  the  spring  of  1807,  "Mr.  Cliild,  who  was 
quite  an  amateur  instructor,  bore  away  the  palm  from  all 
of  us." 

These  brief  biogra23hies  of  the  early  schoolmasters  of 
Dorchester  give  us  a  deep  insight  into  the  intelligence  and 
enterprise  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  from  its  begin- 
ning, and  show  how  highly  they  estimated  the  value  of 
learning.  More  than  half  of  the  teachers  were  natives  of 
Dorchester;  nearly  all  of  them  were  college  graduates, 
mostly  from  Harvard  ;  twenty-nine  of  them  became  clergy- 
men, several  were  afterwards  physicians,  others  were  law- 
yers, and  one  became  a  famous  judge,  and  another  held 
the  high  position  of  lieutenantrgovernor  of  the  colony. 
In  tbe  number  of  young  men  sent  to  college,  Dorchester 
also  ranks  high ;  and  we  may  say  with  just  pride  that,  in 
the  liberality  and  broadness  of  her  educational  system,  she 
has  ever  taken  a  prominent  position  among  her  sister 
towns. 

The  names  of  the  women  teachers  have  unfortunately 
not  come  down  to  us,  except  in  a  few  instances.  It  is  to 
be  regretted  that  this  is  so;  for  their  work  was  no  less 
faithful  and  important  than  that  of  the  men. 

Two  centuries  have  almost  passed  away  since  a  worthy 
schoolmistress  was  laid  at  rest  in  the  ancient  Dorchester 


1704.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  331 

burying-ground.  Over  her  body  a  quaint  epitaph  reads  as 
follows :  — 

MUS.  MIRIAM   WOOD 
formerly  wife  to  Mr.  John  Smitli 
who  died  October  19,  170G. 
An  ancient  School  Mistress. 
A  woman  well  beloved  of  all 
Her  neighbors  for  her  care  of  small 
Folks  education,  their  numbers  being  great, 
That  when  she  died  she  scarcely  left  her  mate. 
So  wise,  discreet  was  her  behaviours 
That  she  was  well  esteemed  by  neighbors. 
She  lived  in  love  with  all  to  die, 
So  let  her  rest  to  eternity. 

Nearly  a  hundred  years  have  passed  away  since  some 
kindly  soul  erected  a  stone  in  the  same  spot  bearing  the 
following  simple  inscription :  — 

Here  lies  the  body  of 

MRS.    JEMIMA    SMITH, 

who  died  the  16th  of  November,  1798, 

in  the  75th  year  of  her  age. 

Poor  "  Ma'am  Mima ! "  This  is  all  that  remains  to  tell 
posterity  of  the  faithful,  honest,  simple  woman  who  strove 
to  impart  her  limited  learning  to  the  pupils  intrusted  to 
her  care.  Each  scholar  brought  her  a  weekly  stipend  of 
twelve  and  a  half  cents.  Those  among  them  who  felt 
kindly  disposed  generously  brought  her  pieces  of  wood  for 
her  fire,  and  simple  food  to  eat ;  for  the  poor  woman  "  could 
not  afford,"  as  she  said  herself,  "  to  have  a  dinner  but  once 
a  week."  As  long  as  a  single  one  of  her  pupils  remained 
her  memory  occupied  a  cherished  place  in  their  hearts ;  for 
her  kindly  offices  were  many,  and  her  love  and  sjrmpathy 
as  unlimited  as  her  resources  were  meagre. 

The  town  in  1803  was  deemed  insufficiently  supplied 
with  public  schools.  There  were  at  tliis  time,  it  will  be 
remembered,  but  two  annual  schools,  —  the  brick  school- 
house  on  Meeting-House  Hill,  and  the  one  on  the  present 


332  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1805. 

Washington  Street,  about  a  mile  from  the  bridge  at  the 
Lower  Mills.  There  were  a  few  other  schools,  mostly  of 
a  private  character,  however,  where  young  children  were 
taught ;  but  the  small  number  of  public  schools  made  it 
difficult  for  pujDils  to  attend  from  the  various  districts. 
During  tliis  year,  therefore.  General  Stephen  Badlam,  Dr. 
James  Baker,  John  Howe,  and  Moses  Everett  were  chosen 
a  committee  to  erect  four  schoolhouses,  having  twelve 
huiicLted  dollars  appropriated  to  them  for  this  purpose.  It 
is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  committee  found  this 
sum  too  small  for  the  task  given  them ;  and  we  can  imag- 
ine that  the  generous  donation  of  land  by  John  Capen,  Jr., 
was  received  by  them  with  hearty  thanks.  Mr.  Capen 
lived  on  what  is  now  River  Street.  The  land  contained 
about  five  thousand  feet ;  and  it  was  given  on  the  concUtion 
that  a  schoolhouse  be  erected  upon  it  within  a  year,  which 
should  never  be  used  for  any  other  than  its  original  pur- 
pose. When  it  ceased  to  be  available  for  that  purpose  it 
was  to  revert  to  liim  or  to  his  heirs. 

Another  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  second  district,  on 
what  is  now  known  as  Adams  Street ;  and  the  next  year  a 
third  building  was  erected,  on  land  given  by  Mr.  Lemuel 
Crane,  in  what  now  became  the  fifth  school  district,  extend- 
ing from  the  Dedham  line  to  Boies's  Mill.  This  new 
schoolhouse  was  so  built  as  to  accommodate  sixty  pupils, 
and  contained  a  stove,  —  the  only  one  in  use  for  more  than 
thirty  years,  —  which  was  given  to  the  school  by  William 
Sumner.  This  afterwards  became  the  Butler  School.  It 
was  originally  a  one-story  building,  neither  plastered  nor 
clapboarded,  and  thus  was  unfitted  for  use  except  in  sum- 
mer. It  measured  fourteen  feet  by  twelve,  having  four 
glass  windows,  and  one,  without  glass,  closed  with  a  wooden 
shutter. 

On  August  26, 1805,  the  town  passed  certain  regulations 
which  were  to  be  observed  by  the  teachers  in  the  public 


1805.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  333 

schools  of  Dorchester.  Five  years  later,  on  June  27,  1810, 
these  were  modified  and  amended.  These  rules  are  given 
below  in  full,  as  they  contain  tlie  last  traces  of  the  old 
requirements :  — 

RULES  AND   REGULATIONS 

TO   BE   OBSERVED    BY    THE    TEACHERS    OF    THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS    IN 

DORCHESTER. 

I.  It  is  recommended  that  the  several  Instructors  daily  lead 
in  a  devotional  exercise  ;  and  it  is  expected  that  suitable  atten- 
tion be  paid  by  them  to  the  morals  of  those  under  their  charge, 
that  they  be  instructed  in  the  principles  of  Religion,  as  well  as 
the  various  branches  of  human  literature,  suitably  adapted  to 
then  age  and  standing. 

II.  As  the  Scholars  are  divided  into  Classes,  it  is  recom- 
mended that  the  following  boolvs  be  made  a  part  of  their 
studies,  viz. 

For  the  Jfth  Class  —  Child's  Fhst  Book,  and  Mrs.  Barbauld's 
lessons. 

For  the  3d  Class  —  Temple's  Child's  Assistant,  Perry's  Spell- 
ing book  (new  edition),  Bingham's  Young  Lady's  Accidence, 
the  New  Testament,  and  Bingham's  Geographical  Catechism. 

For  the  Sd  Class  —  Bingham's  Columbian  Orator,  Morse's 
Abridgement  of  Geography,  and  the  Bible. 

For  the  1st  Class  —  Temple's  Arithmetic,  Miss  Hannah  Adams' 
History  of  New  England,  and  the  Bible.  Also,  the  American 
Preceptor ;  and  the  book  directed  by  the  General  Court  to  be 
used  in  Schools.  For  the  more  advanced,  Pike's  or  "Walsh's 
Arithmetic,  or  President  AA^ebber's  Mathematics. 

III.  Should  it  be  found  desirable  that  any  other  book  or 
books  than  those  above  named  should  be  introduced,  the  assent 
of  the  School  Committee  shall  first  be  obtained. 

IV.  A  part  of  Saturdays  shall  be  spent  in  the  recitation  of 
the  Catechism ;  and  the  Master  shall  hear  the  Children  in  that 
Catechism  which  they  shall  severally  bring  with  a  written  re- 
quest from  their  Parents ;  and  they  shall  repeat,  also,  Hymns, 
or  other  lessons  tending  to  promote  Religion  and  Virtue,  at  the 
discretion  of  the  Master. 


334  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1803. 

V.  As  to  School  hours,  there  shall  be  spent  three  hours  at 
least,  in  the  school,  each  half  day ;  and  the  several  School 
Masters  in  the  town,  are  allowed  the  afternoon  of  all  town 
meeting  days  for  the  choice  of  public  officers ;  the  afternoons 
of  Saturday  and  Sacramental  Lectm-e  days,  and  those  in  which 
there  is  a  public  Catechizing ;  the  two  Election  days,  the  Fourth 
of  July,  Commencement  day ;  and  if  either  of  the  Masters 
have  any  Scholar  to  offer  to  the  College  at  Cambridge,  he  shall 
have  liberty  to  attend  to  that  business. 

VI.  Children  are  not  to  be  admitted  to  the  Schools  till  they 
are  able  to  stand  up,  and  read  words  of  two  syllables,  and  keep 
their  places. 

VII.  To  prevent  misconceptions  between  the  School  Masters 
and  the  School  Committee,  it  is  agreed  that  if  dissatisfaction 
should  arise  in  either  party,  or  if  the  Instructor  from  other 
motives  wishes  to  retire,  three  weeks'  notice  shall  be  given  by 
either  party  for  the  discontiuuauce  of  the  School. 

VIII.  The  teacher,  for  the  stipulated  sum  agreed  on,  is  to 
make  out  his  bill  quarterly  for  payment. 

IX.  In  case  of  vacancy  in  the  instruction  of  either  of  the 
Schools,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  that  one  of  the  Committee,  and 
of  the  Minister,  in  whose  ward  it  shall  happen,  to  provide  a 
new  Preceptor. 

X.  It  is  recommended  to  the  Town,  that  in  future,  the 
School  Committee  be  chosen  by  written  votes. 

\_First  passed  August  S6,  1805 :  and  with  amendments  and 
additions,  June  S7,  18 10 J] 

During  the  period  from  1807  to  1816,  the  sum  of  three 
hundred  doUar.s  per  annum  was  allowed  the  district ;  but 
in  that  year  an  annual  school  was  established,  alternating 
between  the  school  in  the  "  Lower  Mills "  and  the  new 
one  in  the  "  Upper  Mills  "  district,  in  proiiortion  to  the 
number  of  children  living  east  and  west  of  "  Capen's 
Brook."  This  new  school  became  the  Norfolk  School. 
The  system  of  alternating  was  continued  until  the  district 
was  divided,  when  the  westerly  part  became  the  seventh 


1812.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  335 

school  district,  continuing  as  such  until  the  districts  were 
finally  abolished  by  the  town. 

Whenever  the  expense  of  building  the  schoolhouses 
exceeded  three  huncb'ed  dollars,  the  excess  had  to  be 
met  by  the  individuals  directly  affected.  Thus,  in  a 
measure,  the  schoolhouses  were  owned  by  the  inhabitants 
of  the  district;  but  their  rights  were  finally  surren- 
dered, and  the  buildings  became  the  sole  property  of  the 
town,  on  the  agreement  of  the  latter  to  maintain  them 
permanently. 

In  1812  it  was  voted  by  the  town  to  keep  the  annual 
school  in  the  "brick  schoolhouse  by  the  north  meeting- 
house." Before  this  time  this  school  had  alternated  with 
what  was  later  the  Adams  School,  on  the  lower  road,  the 
brick  building  being  used  in  summer,  and  the  one  on 
the  lower  road  in  winter.  This  school,  in  direct  line  from 
the  first  one  established,  was  later  called  the  Mather  School, 
in  honor  of  the  Mather  family,  and  deserves  particular 
attention.  In  it,  the  elder  Deacon  Humphreys  tells  us, 
there  were  three  classes,  the  lowest  being  known  as  "  the 
Psalter  class,"  the  intermediate  as  "  the  Testament  class," 
and  the  highest  as  "the  Bible  class."  Those  who  made 
up  this  last  division  had  the  distinction  of  being  allowed 
to  read  two  chapters  at  the  beginning  and  close  of  the 
school  day,  but  were  made  to  pay  for  this  privilege  by 
being  obliged  to  spell  all  the  words  contained  in  these 
two  chapters,  and  to  write  and  cipher. 

It  is  not  inapprofjriate  at  tliis  point  to  glance  at  the 
text-books  which  were  at  this  time  used  in  the  Dorchester 
schools.  Among  the  earliest  was  the  old-fashioned  "  New- 
England  Primer,"  not  yet  forgotten  by  many  Dorchester 
inhabitants  whose  memory  extends  back  to  those  early 
school  days.  This  mention  will  undoubtedly  recall  the 
blue-covered  book  which  was  considered  almost  as  much 
a  part  of  the  school  as  the  teacher  himself.  As  a  writer 
truthfully  says,  "It  stood  as  the  undisputed  standard  of 


336  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEK.  [1812. 

orthodoxy  in  the  clays  of  our  fathers."  Another  "aid 
to  learning"  —  more  simple,  indeed,  but  who  can  say  less 
useful?  —  was  the  old  "horn  book,"  which  was  used  to 
introduce  the  youthful  mind  to  the  intricacies  of  the 
alphabet.  It  consisted  of  a  single  leaf  of  coarse  paper, 
on  wliich  the  alphabet  and  the  Lord's  Prayer  were  printed. 
This  was  fii-mly  glued  on  a  thin  piece  of  board,  and 
covered  over  with  horn  to  prevent  its  becoming  soiled. 
It  was  from  this  cover  that  its  name  was  derived.  One 
of  the  requirements  for  admission  to  the  grammar  school 
was  that  the  child  should  be  able  to  read  in  the  Primer. 

No  other  books  were  used  in  the  school  imtil  about 
1765,  when  Dilworth's  Spelling  Book  and  Hodder's  Arith- 
metic were  introduced.  Noah  Webster's  famous  spelling- 
book  came  into  use  about  1783.  It  is  said  that  two-thirds 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States  at  that  time  re- 
ceived the  rudiments  of  their  education  from  tins  book ; 
and  the  good  people  in  Dorchester  proudly  stood  on  the 
side  of  the  majority.  Among  the  other  books  from  wliich 
the  early  fathers  learned  the  lessons  of  their  childliood 
were  Colburn's  and  Daboll's  Arithmetic,  Woodbridge's 
Geography  and  Atlas,  Worcester's  Friend  of  Youth, 
Wilkins'  Astronomy,  Lee's  Spelling  Book,  Cummings's 
Pronouncing  Spelling  Book,  Leavitt's  Reading  Lessons, 
Murray's  English  Reader,  Whelpley's  Compend  of  His- 
toiy,  Pierpont's  Readers,  and  Walker's  Dictionarj-.  Such 
were  the  books  used  down  to  1832,  when  a  new  selection 
was  made  by  the  school  committee. 

Mr.  John  Kneeland,  of  the  Boston  Board  of  Supervisors, 
was  a  master  in  the  Mather  School,  and  on  the  occasion 
of  the  Dorchester  Celebration  in  1889  he  referred  to  the 
school  as  follows :  — 

"  When  I  was  given  charge  of  the  Mather  School,  in  1852,  I 
thought  that  I  had  been  lifted  np  into  Paradise.  I  thought  then, 
as  I  think  uow,  that  there  is  hardly  a  more  beautiful  spot  ou 
the  earth  for  a  school  than  Meetiug-House  Hill.     The  present 


THE    MATHER    SCHOOL- HOUSE. 


1818.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  339 

Mather  building  is  but  a  few  years  old.'  Its  immediate  prede- 
cessor, now  used  for  primary  classes,  was  dedicated  September 
4,  1856.  The  buUdiug  iu  which  I  served  preceded  that;  it 
was  two-story,  ha^•^ng  one  school-room,  with  an  anteroom  on 
each  floor.  The  lower  room  was  occupied  by  the  primai-y 
pupils,  and  the  upper  by  the  grammar.  There  were  thi'ee 
teachers  iu  all,  and  about  one  hundred  aud  thirty  pupils.  Now 
there  are  in  the  Mather  district  nineteen  teachers,  and  but  few 
less  than  a  thousand  pupils." 

The  Report  of  the  School  Committee  for  1892-93  shows 
that  there  are  twenty-four  regular  instructors,  and  1,180 
pupils  in  tills  district.  Edward  Southworth  is  the  present 
master  of  the  school. 

In  1818  it  was  voted  to  put  "  the  schoolhouse  in  District 
No.  2,"  the  present  Harris  School  District,  "  on  the  same 
footing  as  the  other  schoolhouses  in  the  town."  The 
annual  appropriation  for  schools  from  1820  to  1824  in- 
clusive, was  twenty-thi-ee  hundred  dollars.  The  records 
give  us  an  interesting  glance  at  the  estimated  expenses 
for  1821 :  — 

Six  Schoolmasters'  salaries  at  $400 $2400 

Wood  for  six  Schools,  carting  and  sawing 96 

School  at  Squantum 43 

Ordinary  repairs  of  Schoolhouses 65 

School  Committee  expenses 30 

$2634 
Deduct  school  income 257 

To  be  raised  by  taxation $2,37  7 

An  important  step  was  taken  when  the  committee  to 
whom  the  subject  of  a  high  school  had  been  referred 
reported  in  1827  that  it  was  "expedient  to  establish  a 
high  school ;  othei'wise  the  town  exposes  itseK  to  heavy 
penalties."  This  report  showed  that  those  best  acquainted 
with  the  educational  needs  of  the  town  felt  that  the  time 

1  It  was  built  in  1872. 


340  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1830. 

had  come  to  offer  better  advantages  than  could  be  found 
in  the  district  schools ;  but  unfortunately  the  wise  men 
were  in  the  minority,  and  the  rejaort  was  not  accepted. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  an  institution  which  existed 
about  18-30,  known  as  "Stoughton  Hall."  This  building 
stood  where  the  so-called  "  Athenteum  "  now  is,  at  the 
junction  of  Pleasant,  Pond,  and  Cottage  Streets,  and  is 
well  remembered  by  a  few  of  Dorchester's  present  citizens 
as  the  place  of  learning  where  they  acquired  a  portion, 
at  least,  of  their  early  education.  Perhaps  the  most 
famous  of  these  scholars  was  George  Bond,  the  astronomer. 
Governor  Gardner  also  attended  the  school,  and  so  did 
William  Bond,  Dr.  Benjamin  Gushing,  and  Zebedee  Cook. 
The  hall  was  also  used  for  lectures  and  adtU'esses  of  the 
upper  classes  of  that  day.  Among  those  who  attended 
these  were  the  Hon.  Perez  Morton,  Francis  Everett,  Dea- 
con Edward  Sharp,  Kol^ert  Richardson,  William  H.  Rich- 
ardson, Deacon  James  Humphreys,  and  his  son  the  present 
Deacon  Heniy  Humphreys,  Di-.  William  A.  Alcott,  Sam- 
uel Whitcomb,  and  William  Harris. 

The  lecturers  included  some  of  the  most  jioted  men  of 
the  day.  Mr.  Tischmacher  spoke  on  the  subject  of  Geol- 
ogy, Professor  Webster,  of  Cambridge,  on  Chemistry,  and 
Dr.  William  T.  Harris  on  Entomology ;  and  among  others 
who  spoke  on  various  topics  were  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell 
Holmes,  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  Professor  Farrar,  and 
Lucius  M.  Sargent. 

The  Dorchester  Academy  was  established  in  1831,  with 
a  board  of  trustees  composed  of  Rev.  John  Codman,  D.  D., 
president ;  James  Penniman,  treasurer ;  Josejah  Leeds,  sec- 
retary; James  Leach,  and  Thomas  Tremlett.  The  fii'st 
principal  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Riggs,  the  now  venerable  mis- 
sionary at  Constantinojile.  The  school  was  begun  in  the 
house  of  James  Penniman,  on  Washington  Street,  the 
present  Walter  Baker  Mansion,  until  suitable  quarters 
could  be  obtained.     It  proved  very  popular,  and  in  1832  it 


1830.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  341 

had  103  jDupils  enrolled.  In  the  catalogue  for  that  year 
are  the  names  of  many  of  Dorchester's  most  respected  men 
and  women  during  the  last  half-century ;  and  there  are 
many  living  to-day  whose  thoughts  go  back  to  the  old 
academy  days  with  affectionate  remembrances.  The  trus- 
tees spared  no  pains  to  make  the  academy  a  model  in  every 
way,  their  attention  being  equally  divided  upon  the 
branches  of  study  and  deportment.  "The  principles  of 
government,"  the  early  catalogue  states,  "are  not  tyran- 
nical and  arbitrary.  No  principle  is  developed  before  there 
is  occasion  for  its  immediate  use.  Then  the  pupil  under- 
stands that  it  is  one  which  his  own  liighest  interest,  and 
the  highest  interest  of  the  whole,  actually  requires,  —  one 
which  springs  immediately  from  the  relations  which  he 
sustains.  Consequently  the  motive  to  obedience  becomes 
strong  and  powerful.  It  is  the  same  that  will  urge  liim  to 
a  faithful  performance  of  duty  in  future  life.  It  is  that 
which  will  add  to  such  a  performance  of  duty  the  richest 
of  eartUy  enjojniients,  a  consciousness  of  having  done  right. 
In  case  of  disobedience,  this  happiness  will  be  set  in  strik- 
ing contrast  with  the  misery  consequent  upon  a  neglect  of 
duty,  and  a  violation  of  moral  obligation.  If  the  pupil's 
own  mind  is  made  to  dwell  suitably  upon  this  contrast  in 
the  hour  of  private  retirement  and  meditation,  he  will 
generally  be  sufficiently  corrected,  —  not  indeed  by  the  rod 
of  his  teacher,  but  by  that  which  is  still  more  intolerable, 
the  lashes  of  his  own  conscience." 

In  spite  of  the  tolerance  of  the  above  statement,  extreme 
measures  were  occasionally  employed.  It  is  related  that 
while  the  school  sessions  were  still  held  in  the  Penniman 
House,  the  principal  had  a  long  attack  of  illness.  The 
vacancy  was  filled  by  John  Codman  (who  has  since  become 
so  well  known  as  the  "  Caj)tain  ")  who  was  at  that  time  at 
home  on  a  vacation  from  Amherst  College.  The  new  prin- 
cipal celebrated  his  election  to  the  honored  position  by 
administering  a  whipping  to  every  boy  in  the  school,  vdth 


342  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEB.  [1834. 

one  exception.  This  exception,  it  is  said,  was  made  owing 
to  the  piobahility  that  the  boy  would  reverse  the  order  of 
exercises  if  an  attempt  had  been  made  to  aj^ply  the  ferule. 
Never  were  more  fervent  prayers  uttered  than  those  for 
the  recovery  of  the  jjrincipal,  Dr.  Riggs ;  but  Mr.  Codman 
was  never  accused  of  not  preserving  order  in  his  school. 

At  the  end  of  some  six  or  eight  months  tlie  building  for 
the  Dorchester  Academy  was  ready  for  occupancy ;  and  the 
school  was  removed  from  the  Penniman  House,  which  had 
been  given  up  so  generously  for  its  use.  The  new  build- 
ing was  located  on  Washington  Street,  near  the  Second 
Church,  and  it  still  remains  standing,  after  passing  through 
the  changes  necessary  to  make  it  into  a  dwelling-house. 

The  aggregate  number  of  childi-en  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  town  in  1834  was  647,  and  the  j^rivate  schools  cared  for 
the  instruction  of  233.  Five  primary  schools  were  estab- 
lished this  year,  to  which  chikben  under  seven  years  of  age 
could  be  sent,  at  an  expense  of  tliree  dollars  and  twenty- 
five  cents  a  week. 

In  1836  the  several  school  districts  of  the  town  were 
renumbered ;  the  former  lines,  however,  being  retained. 
Before  the  establishment  of  the  first  annual  schools  the 
town  created  certain  limits  which  were  known  as  school 
districts.  In  1801  these  were  more  systematically  arranged 
in  fovu"  districts,  another  cUstrict  being  added  soon  after. 
In  1815  the  lines  were  slightly  altered  so  as  to  make  six 
districts  instead  of  five,  and  the  seventh  was  added  not 
long  after.  It  was  expected  that  parents  would  send  their 
chikben  to  the  school  in  the  district  where  they  lived ;  but 
as  a  matter  of  fact  the  rule  was  never  strictly  enforced, 
and  the  children  went  to  the  nearest  school,  or  to  the  one 
which  for  one  reason  or  another  was  the  most  popi;lar  with 
the  parents.  The  numbering  of  the  schools  this  year, 
however,  was  very  specific.  No.  1  was  known  as  the 
"  North  Buiying-Place  ; "  No.  2,  "  Rev.  N.  Hall's  Meeting- 
House ;  "  No.  3,  "  Lower  Road ;  "  No.  4,  "  Upper  Road ;  " 


1836]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  343 

No.  5,  "  Lower  Mills ;  "  No.  6,  "  Upper  Mills ;  "  No.  7, 
" Southwest  Part  of  the  Town;"  No.  8,  "Neponset  Vil- 
lage ; "  No.  9,  "  Commercial  Point ;  "  and,  later,  No.  10, 
"  Little  Neck,"  and  No.  11,  "  Mount  Bowdoin." 

The  years  1836  and  1837  were  important  ones  for  the 
schools,  no  less  than  six  new  buildings  being  erected  diuing 
that  period.  These  were  distributed  one  in  each  grammar 
school  district,  the  total  expense  being  covered'  by  the  sale 
of  the  land  in  South  Boston  donated  to  the  town  in  1655 
by  John  Clap,  together  with  the  ajsportionment  to  the  town 
of  the  State  surplus  fund,  wliich  amounted  to  almost  nine 
thousand  dollars.  Thus  the  burden  of  building  these 
schoolhouses  did  not  fall  on  the  people,  and  left  them  free 
to  appropriate  the  sum  of  four  thousand  dollars  to  go 
towards  the  support  of  the  schools. 

The  salaries  of  the  school  teachers  then  in  service  were 
increased  to  four  hundi-ed  and  fifty  dollars  per  year  for 
instructors,  and  four  dollars  per  week  for  the  teachers  be- 
longing to  the  gentler  sex.  This  rise  did  not  apply  to  any 
teachers  who  might  be  added  to  the  schools,  their  salaries 
being  left  entirely  to  the  discretion  of  the  school  commitee. 

In  1844  the  town  granted  the  schools  Wecbiesday  after- 
noons from  the  middle  of  May  to  the  middle  of  September. 
Six  years  previous  to  this,  nine  of  the  teachers  had  signed 
a  petition  asking  to  be  excused  from  keej^ing  school  on 
these  afternoons,  and  the  town  had  granted  their  request. 
It  was  found  necessary,  however,  for  them  to  reconsider 
their  vote,  as  more  than  three  hundred  persons  signed  a 
petition  opposing  the  idea  of  allowing  the  schools  this 
weekly  half-holiday. 

In  connection  with  this  it  will  be  interesting  to  see  what 
holidays  the  teachers  and  chilcU-en  were  allowed  during 
the  second  quarter  of  a  century.  Saturday  afternoon  was 
regularly  gi-anted ;  and  special  holidays  were  made  of  the 
afternoon  of  all  town-meeting  days,  when  public  officers 
were  elected.     The  last  Wednesday  in  May  and  the  first 


344  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1844. 

Monday  in  June  were  election  days  ;  and  no  school  was 
held  on  these  occasions.  The  Fom-th  of  July  was  also 
observed  by  the  youthful  patriots,  and  there  was  no  school 
on  Harvard  Commencement  Day.  The  sacramental  lect- 
ures gave  another  o})portunity  for  the  youths  and  maidens, 
as  well  as  the  teachers  themselves,  to  get  a  little  relaxation 
from  their  work.  The  children  were  allowed  to  attend 
these  lectures  without  losing  their  standing  in  the  class,  if 
such  action  was  at  the  request  of  the  parents.  If  the 
teacher  wished  to  attend,  he  could  dismiss  the  school 
earlier  in  the  day.  Twice  a  year  the  general  "  visitation  " 
of  the  schools  took  place  ;  and  at  these  times  the  com- 
mittee allowed  the  children  a  holiday  either  before  or  after 
the  visitation,  at  the  cUscretion  of  the  teacher.  The  task 
of  passing  tluough  these  semi-annual  examinations  was 
such,  however,  that  the  teacher  almost  invariably  chose  the 
succeeding  day  for  the  holiday.  During  the  early  i)art  of 
the  century  the  teacher  gained  an  extra  day  when  the  min- 
isters took  the  chilcb'en  in  hand  for  the  catechising.  All 
school  exercises  were  suspended  on  these  occasions.  If 
the  teacher  had  a  pupil  whom  he  was  fitting  for  college, 
he  was  allowed  time  to  see  that  he  took  his  examinations 
properly.  The  childi-en  of  to-day  would  hardly  change 
their  school  days  for  those  which  their  parents  and  grand- 
parents enjoyed. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  1846  there  were  1,354 
pupils  who  attended  the  sixteen  schools  which  the  town 
supported,  the  average  attendance  for  the  year  being  seven 
hundred  and  fifteen. 

In  connection  with  the  public  schools  of  the  town  the 
fact  should  be  mentioned  that  at  this  time  there  existed 
no  less  than  ten  private  institutions  of  learning,  which 
included  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  scholars.  The  ex- 
pense for  tins  instruction  exceeded  four  thousand  dollars, 
which  was  more  than  twice  as  much  as  the  town  appro- 
priated for  the  support  of   its  sixteen  schools.      Tliis  is 


1848.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  345 

undoubtedly  the  largest  number  of  private  schools  which 
have  existed  in  Dorchester  at  any  one  time,  as  the  wise 
action  of  the  school  committee,  soon  after  tliis  time,  in 
improving  the  public  opportunities  for  instruction  has  been 
continued  mtli  steady  gain,  and  with  this  improvement 
there  has  been  less  demand  for  private  teacliers. 

The  first  step  of  the  school  committee  in  this  direction 
was  the  establisliing  of  intermediate  schools  in  the  first  six 
districts  and  in  the  school  at  Little  Neck,  —  afterwards 
called  Washington  Village,  —  whenever  the  aggregate  aver- 
age attendance  of  chikh'en  reached  one  huncb-ed  and  thirty- 
five.  The  sum  of  twelve  hundred  dollars  was  appropriated 
by  the  town  to  enable  the  committee  to  accomplish  its 
purpose.  It  was  also  voted  to  allow  the  committee  to 
establish  intermediate  schools  in  Neponset  village  and  in 
other  districts  at  their  discretion,  whenever  these  schools 
contained  at  least  twenty-five  pupils  who  were  too  advanced 
for  the  primary  classes. 

"The  year  1848,"  the  committee  asserts,  "is  an  im- 
portant and  memorable  one  in  the  history  of  the  Dor- 
chester schools,  having  been  one  in  which  more  has  been 
attempted,  and  it  is  believed  more  accomplished,  than  in 
any  previous  year."  The  appropriation  for  school  pur- 
poses this  year  was  certainly  largely  in  excess  of  previous 
sums,  amounting  to  thirty-one  thousand  dollars.  With 
this  almost  all  the  schoolhouses  were  repaired  or  enlarged, 
and  many  important  changes  were  made  in  the  interest  of 
the  comfort  of  the  pupils.  A  new  buikUng  was  erected 
at  Little  Neck,  and  another  on  Commercial  Point  and 
Harrison  Square.  This  building  was  first  used  in  1849, 
when  the  primary  school  was  removed  to  it  from  the  house 
on  the  Point,  and  an  intermediate  school  formed  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  more  advanced  chilcU-en.  These  two 
schools  were  later  combined  under  the  name  of  the  Mav- 
erick School.  Many  improvements  were  also  made  this 
same  year  in  the  school   arrangements  for  Neponset. 


346  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEE.  [1850. 

During  the  next  year  the  committee  continued  its  good 
work  by  assigning  to  each  school  a  name,  instead  of  the 
numbers  by  which  they  had  been  designated.  This  change 
was  not  only  intended  to  give  the  schools  more  individ- 
uality, but  also  to  bring  them  "  into  association  with  some 
of  the  great  and  good  men  who  have  lived  among  us." 

In  1850  the  subject  of  a  liigh  school  was  again  agitated, 
• —  this  time  with  more  success.  One  hundred  and  eighty- 
tliree  tax-payers  of  the  town  signed  a  petition  asking  the 
school  committee  "  to  recommend  to  the  town  the  immedi- 
ate establishment  of  a  high  school."  This  petition  was 
discussed  and  reflected  upon  for  two  years,  when  action 
was  finally  taken.  The  sum  of  six  thousand  dollars  was 
appropriated  with  which  to  erect  a  building,  the  location 
selected  being  on  the  School  Pasture  property,  on  the 
westerly  side  of  South  Boston  and  Dorchester  turnpike, 
a  little  north  of  Centre  Street.  This  spot  was  selected 
as  being  the  most  central  position. 

The  school  was  organized  in  December,  1852,  with  a 
membership  of  fifty-nine  pupils  of  both  sexes,  represent- 
ing the  Everett,  Mather,  Adams,  Gibson,  Winthrop,  Nor- 
folk, and  private  schools.  The  first  jjrincipal  was  William 
J.  Rolfe,  the  present  Shakespearian  authority,  who  held 
tlie  position  for  four  years.  Mr.  Kolfe's  successor  was 
Jonathan  Kimball,  who  remained  for  nine  years.  Elbridge 
Smith,  the  third  master,  was  in  charge  of  the  school  for 
the  long  period  of  twenty-four  years,  during  which  time 
he  established  a  reputation  which  was  second  to  that  of 
no  other  Dorchester  teacher.  The  present  incumbent  is 
Charles  J.  Lincoln,  who  was  Mr.  Smith's  immediate 
successor. 

Early  in  May  1853,  a  new  primary  school  was  opened 
in  the  vestry  of  the  Methodist  Meeting-House,  at  Port 
Norfolk,  which  was  called  the  "  Stoughton  School."  Two 
years  later  the  town  erected  a  new  building  on  River 
Street,    and  the   Stoughton   and   Neponset  schools   were 


18D0.]  DOECHESTER   SCHOOLS.  347 

united  under  the  name  of  the  "Washington  School." 
Tliis  school  is  now  known  by  its  original  name,  in  honor  of 
Gov.  William  Stoughton  who  was  so  prominent  during  the 
latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  late  E.  B. 
Robinson  recalled  the  fact  that  there  was  an  earlier  school 
on  River  Street,  wliich  perhaps  might  be  considered  the 
predecessor  of  the  Stoughton  School.  "I  attended  this 
school,"  said  Mr.  Robinson,  "when  but  five  years  of  age, 
it  being  kept  at  this  time  by  Master  Fairbanks.  Tlu'ee 
years  later,  in  1828,  Davis  Capen  was  in  charge  of  the 
school,  and  his  successors  were  Thomas  P.  Ryder  and 
Dr.  Dugan  from  Quincy.  I  well  remember  this  latter 
teacher,  who  once  gave  me  a  severe  flogging  in  mistake 
for  one  of  the  same  name."  There  are  now  eleven  regu- 
lar instructors  and  four  huncb-ed  and  fifty-six  pupils  in 
the  Stoughton  district,  Edward  M.  Lancaster  being  the 
principal. 

The  new  building  for  the  Everett  School  was  ready  for 
occupancy  February  25,  1856.  The  Hon.  Edward  Everett, 
for  whom  the  school  was  named,  was  one  of  the  speakers 
on  this  occasion,  and  in  the  course  of  his  remarks  he 
said :  — 

"I  hold,  sir,  that  to  read  the  English  language  well,  that  is, 
with  intelligence,  feeling,  spirit,  and  effect,  —  to  write  with 
despatch  a  neat,  handsome,  legible  hand  (for  it  is,  after  all,  a 
great  object  in  writing  to  have  others  able  to  read  what  you 
write) ,  and  to  be  master  of  the  four  rules  of  arithmetic,  so  as 
to  dispose  at  once  with  accuracy  of  every  question  of  figures 
which  comes  up  iu  practical  life,  —  I  say,  I  call  this  a  good 
education ;  and  if  you  add  the  ability  to  write  grammatical 
English,  with  the  help  of  a  very  few  hard  words,  I  regard  it  as 
an  excellent  education.  These  are  the  tools ;  you  can  do 
much  with  them,  but  you  are  helpless  without  them.  They  are 
the  foundation  ;  and  unless  you  begin  with  these,  all  your  flashy 
attainments,  a  little  philosophy,  a  little  physiology,  and  a  little 
geology,  and  all  the  other  ologies  and  osophies,  are  but  ostenta- 
tious rubbish." 


348  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1857. 

This  wooden  building  was  located  on  Sumner  Street, 
and  was  superseded  in  1876  by  the  more  commodious 
structiu'e  now  known  as  the  "Edward  Everett  Scliool." 
The  district  now  lias  twenty-one  regular  instructors  and 
twelve  hundred  and  seventy-two  pupils.  Henry  B.  Miner 
is  the  present  principal. 

The  Gibson  Schoolhouse,  on  School  Street,  so  called  in 
honor  of  the  early  donor  of  the  schools,  Christopher 
Gibson,  was  built  in  1857,  a  portion  of  the  expense  being 
met  by  generous  gifts  from  the  Hon.  Edmund  P.  Tileston 
and  Roswell  Gleason.  E.  B.  Robinson,  mentioned  on 
a  preceding  page,  was  also  a  pupil  in  a  school  in  this 
vicinity  which  preceded  the  Gibson  School.  He  says :  "  I 
attended  Master  Robert  Vose's  school  in  a  lane  opposite 
Roswell  Gleason's  store,  near  the  '  Four  Corners.'  Vose 
was  an  expert  at  rod  swinging,  but  was  a  good  school- 
master. His  son,  Robert  Vose,  Jr.,  afterwards  kept  the 
same  school  for  many  years.  Charles  P.  Kimball  suc- 
ceeded the  elder  Vose ;  and  after  him  came  Jeremiah 
Pljmipton,  William  K.  Vail,  and  Amasa  Davenport."  In 
1881  the  Gibson  School  was  moved  to  the  Atherton  Build- 
ing, on  Columbia  Street,  the  building  thus  vacated  being 
used  for  less  advanced  classes.  The  force  of  instructors 
in  the  Gibson  district  now  numbers  fourteen,  wlio  have 
six  hundi'ed  and  seventy-seven  pupils  under  their  charge. 
William  E.  Endicott  is  the  jirincipal. 

In  1860  the  amount  of  money  appropriated  by  the  town 
for  public  education  was  thirteen  dollars  and  eighteen 
cents  for  each  child  lietween  the  ages  of  five  and  eighteen. 
At  this  time  Nahaiit  and  Brookline  were  the  only  towns  in 
the  Commonwealth  wliich  appropriated  larger  amounts  of 
money  per  child  for  public  school  purposes. 

In  1861  another  school  building  was  erected,  being  situ- 
ated on  Adams  Street,  and  named  the  "  Harris  School,"  in 
honor  of  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris,  D.D.,  who  was 
the  pastor  of  the  First  Parish  for  many  years.     There  are 


1861.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  349 

now  foiu'teen  instructors  in  this  district,  and  six  hundi-ed 
and  sixty  pupils.  N.  Hosea  Whittemore  is  at  the  head  of 
the  school. 

The  Tileston  School,  located  on  Norfolk  Street,  Matta- 
pan,  was  named  for  the  Hon.  Edmund  P.  Tileston,  for 
many  years  a  foremost  paper  manufacturer  in  Dorchester. 
The  buikUng  for  this  school  was  erected  in  1868.  Mr. 
Tileston  presented  the  school  with  a  clock,  and  at  his 
decease  he  bequeathed  to  it  his  valuable  library.  There 
are  five  instructors  and  two  hundred  and  seventeen  pupils 
at  present  in  this  district.  Hiram  M.  George  is  the 
principal. 

When  Dorchester  was  annexed  to  Boston,  in  1870,  the 
schools  of  the  town  came  under  the  control  of  the  city, 
and  gained  the  benefit  of  the  system  there  established; 
but  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pupils  in  the  schools 
before  annexation,  as  compared  with  the  present  number, 
the  appropriations  made  by  the  city  have  been  no  more  gen- 
erous than  those  of  the  to^vn.  Many  Dorchester  residents, 
indeed,  feel  that  the  union  benefited  the  Boston  schools 
quite  as  much  as  their  own,  and  are  proud  to  know  that 
the  excellent  advantages  now  offered  to  the  youth  are  due 
to  the  past  efforts  of  the  town  itself  no  less  than  to  the 
system  which  has  made  Boston  the  "  Athens  of  America." 

In  1886  a  new  schoolhouse  was  built  on  Neponset  Ave- 
nue for  the  Minot  School,  which  had  formerly  occupied  a 
building  on  Walnut  Street,  Neponset.  The  name  of  the 
school  was  chosen  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  Minot 
family.  The  corps  of  teachers  in  the  district  numbers 
eleven,  and  there  are  five  hundred  and  thirty-nine  pupils. 
The  principal  is  Joseph  T.  Ward,  Jr. 

On  June  22,  1889,  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary was  celebrated  of  the  establishment  of  the  Mather 
School,  —  the  first  free  public  school  in  America,  sup- 
ported by  a  direct  tax  on  the  people.     The  exercises  were 


350  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1889. 

held  in  a  large  tent,  located  on  Meeting-House  Hill,  and 
were  under  the  immediate  direction  of  a  special  committee 
appointed  for  the  purpose,  consisting  of  Hon.  Charles  T. 
Gallagher,  Mrs.  Emily  A.  Fifield,  Mr.  Richard  C.  Hum- 
phr-eys,  William  A.  Mowry,  Ph.D.,  Liberty  D.  Packard, 
M.D.,  and  Mr.  Richard  J.  Walsh. 

At  two  o'clock  a  procession  composed  of  the  graduates 
of  the  Dorchester  schools  marched  into  the  tent,  each  class 
being  preceded  by  a  banner  bearing  the  name  of  the  school. 
The  girls  seated  themselves  at  the  right  of  the  stage  and 
the  boys  at  the  left,  leaving  the  centre  of  the  platform  to 
be  occujiied  by  the  high-school  graduates. 

The  Rev.  Arthur  Little,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the  Second 
Church  of  Dorchester,  offered  prayer;  after  which  the 
graduates  joined  in  singing  the  unison  chorus  from 
Mendelssohn's  "  Fest  Gesang  "  :  — 

"  Learning  dawned,  its  light  arose; 
Thus  the  truth  assailed  its  foes." 

Hon.  Charles  T.  Gallagher,  president  of  the  school 
board,  then  delivered  the  addi'ess  of  welcome.  After  his 
remarks  the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows,  editor  of  the 
"  Christian  Register,"  was  introduced.  In  the  course  of 
his  addi\>s  Mr.  Barrows  said:  — 

"  Dorchester  has  been  generous  in  her  gifts  to  the  common- 
wealth. She  began  by  giving  herself  away.  She  gave  liberally 
of  her  soil,  — a  large  slice  to  Stoughtou,  another  slice  to  Milton. 
Afterwards  she  gave  South  Boston  and  Washington  Village  to 
the  city  of  Boston  ;  and  at  last  gave  away  all  she  had  ;  so  that 
the  city  of  Boston  has  5000  acres  of  land  which  once  belonged 
to  this  ancient  town.  She  has  been  generous  not  only  with  her 
soil,  but  with  its  fruits.  There  have  been  reared  in  her  garden 
some  flowers  which  never  before  blossomed  on  this  planet ;  some 
fruits  which  never  before  regaled  human  lips.  She  has  given  to 
the  country  the  still  richer  fruit  of  her  own  life-blood,  as  yonder 
monument  will  testify ;  but  of  all  other  contibutious  to  city. 
State,  or  nation,  it  seems  to  me  none  has  such  far-reaching  and 


i 


1889.]  DORCHESTER    SCHOOLS.  351 

permanent  significance  as  this  contribution  of  a  great  idea  em- 
bodied in  a  great  institution,  —  the  first  free  public  school  in  the 
United  States." 

William  A.  Mowry,  Ph.D.,  delivered  the  historical  ad- 
dress. After  briefly  sketching  the  early  history  of  the 
Dorchester  schools,  he  said :  — 

"If  the  Boston  of  to-day  can  justly  claim  (1)  the  establish- 
ment of  the  first  New  England  town-meeting,  and (2)  can  point 
to  her  Latin  School  as  the  first  public  school  established  for 
secondary  education,  and  to  the  Mather  School  as  the  first  school 
for  which  the  people  of  a  town  were  taxed,  and  if  she  shall 
receive  from  the  future  historian  (3)  the  credit  of  her  school 
committee,  from  Dorchester  district,  being  the  first  school  com- 
mittee of  this  broad  land  then  appointed  to  oversee  the  first 
publicly  supported  school,  —  then,  surely,  we  are  warranted  in 
considering  this  occasion  as  commemorating  the  planting  of  that 
seed  which  has  germinated  and  grown  to  a  great  tree,  which 
now  furnishes  a  delightful  and  refreshing  shade  for  the  whole 
nation." 

It  had  been  expected  that  Governor  Ames  would  be 
present  at  the  celebration,  but  poor  health  forced  him  to 
decline ;  and  the  chairman  read  his  letter  of  regret, 
together  with  similar  letters  from  Hon.  J.  W.  Dickinson, 
Secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Board  of  Education,  and 
from  Rev.  Henry  M.  Dexter,  D.D.  Mr.  Dickinson  said  in 
his  letter :  — 

"One  of  the  most  memorable  events  in  the  history  of  the 
Commonwealth  is  the  establishment  for  the  first  time  in  the 
world  of  free  public  schools  supported  by  a  general  tax.  The 
early  colonists  seem  to  have  had  an  intuitive  idea  that  a  free 
State  and  free  public  schools  hold  the  relation  of  dependence 
on  each  other.  They  had  no  sooner  come  to  the  laud  which 
they  had  chosen  for  their  new  home,  and  had  provided  for  their 
immediate  physical  wants,  and  had  erected  their  simple  places 
of  worship,  than  they  established  schools  for  the  free  education 
of  all  the  children.     Ever  since  that  day  the  public  school  and 


352  GOOD   OLD  DOKCHESTER.  [1889. 

the  church  have  contributed  each  its  peculiar  educating  power  in 
promoting  the  welfare  of  a  free  people.  Dorchester  may  well 
feel  proud  of  having  organized  the  first  free  common  school 
supported  by  a  common  tax,  and  of  having  chosen  Mr.  Howard 
and  Deacon  Wiswall  and  Mr.  Atherton  to  be  the  first  town  com- 
mon school  committee  known  in  the  history  of  the  race." 

Hon.  Thomas  N.  Hart,  mayor  of  Boston,  made  a  few 
remarks,  expressing  liis  sympathy  with  everything  which 
tended  to  benefit  the  schools.  Edwin  P.  Seaver,  A.M., 
Superintendent  of  the  Schools  of  Boston,  touched  on  the 
advantages  Boston  enjoyed  in  regard  to  schools,  and  the 
proportion  of  the  city's  population  which  was  in  daily 
attendance.  Rev.  Father  Peter  Ronan,  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Meeting-House  Hill,  followed  Mr.  Seaver. 

The  chairman  next  introduced  Mr.  John  Kneeland,  a 
member  of  the  Boston  Board  of  Supervisors,  who  said :  — 

"I  have  always  remembered  with  pleasure  the  admirable 
manner  in  which  the  schools  of  Dorchester  were  managed  by  the 
school  committee.  The  board  consisted  of  business  men  and 
scholarly  men,  and  the  work  was  di^^ded  among  them  according 
to  their  particular  taste  and  ability.  Nothing  was  neglected. 
One  member  examined  all  the  schools  in  reading  twice  a  year ; 
another  member,  in  grammar ;  another,  in  arithmetic,  and  so  in 
other  studies.  I  have  not  known,  in  my  experience,  schools 
more  thoroughly  examined.  I  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning 
some  of  these  men  to  whom  Dorchester  owes  so  much,  because 
of  theii-  advancement  of  its  educational  interests :  Rev.  Na- 
thaniel Hall,  for  some  years  chairman  of  the  board ;  Rev. 
Thomas  B.  Fox,  and  Rev.  James  H.  Means,  active  members; 
Increase  S.  Smith,  former  preceptor  of  Derby  Academy,  in 
Hingham ;  Ebenezer  Clapp, '  to  whom  much  is  due  for  those 
records  quoted  to-day ;    Dr.  John  P.  Spooner,  who  for  many 

1  The  chapters  in  the  History  of  Dorchester  (1859)  from  wliich  the  main 
facts  referred  to  on  this  occasion  were  taken,  were  written  by  William  B. 
Trask,  and  not  by  Mr.  Clapp.  It  is  proper  to  say  here  that  the  town  is 
under  great  obligations  to  Mr.  Trask  for  his  labors  in  gathering  togetlier 
the  records  which  refer  to  the  schools. 


1889.]  DORCHESTER   SCHOOLS.  353 

years  looked  out  for  the  material  interests  of  the  schools ; 
William  D.  Swan,  for  many  years  a  noted  Boston  master,  and 
very  influential  in  town  affairs.  Though  not  on  the  school  com- 
mittee, Dr.  Edward  Jan'is  and  Samuel  Downer,  Jr.,  should  not 
be  forgotten." 

The  exercises  were  continued  by  remarks  made  by 
William  T.  Adams,  Esq.,  better  known  as  "  Oliver  Optic ; " 
Mr.  George  B.  Hyde,  a  former  master  in  the  Everett 
School ;  Mr.  Charles  Caiieton  Coffin,  the  famous  war 
correspondent  and  journalist ;  Mr.  Richard  C.  Humphreys, 
of  the  Boston  school  committee ;  and  Mrs.  Emily  A.  Fifield, 
the  chairman  of  the  Dorchester  Division  committee. 

Among  the  Dorchester  schoolmasters  of  the  last  fifty 
years  the  name  of  William  D.  Swan  is  especially  prom- 
inent. He  began  life  as  a  mechanic ;  but  while  yet  a 
young  man  he  began  to  teach,  —  fii-st  in  Dorchester,  and 
later  in  Charlestown  and  Boston.  He  then  entered  the 
book  business,  and  as  one  of  the  firm  of  Hickling, 
Swan,  and  Brewer,  was  one  of  the  prime  movere  in  pub- 
lishing Worcester's  Dictionary.  He  published  many 
school-books,  among  wliich  were  Hilliard's  Readers,  of 
which  Dr.  Benjamin  Cusliing  relates  the  follo\ving  anec- 
dote :  "  When  I  was  at  the  South,  during  the  war,"  writes 
Dr.  Gushing,  "as  I  was  walking  from  Fortress  Monroe 
to  the  hospital,  on  Hampton  Beach,  where  I  was  stationed, 
I  saw  an  old  negro,  one  of  the  contrabands,  sitting  by  the 
wayside  inteiatly  looking  over  a  book.  I  was  curious  to 
see  what  interested  him  so  much,  and  looking  at  it  I  found 
it  to  be  '  First  Primary  Reader,  Hilliard's  Series.'  " 

Mr.  Swan  was  a  man  of  great  energy,  wit,  and  humor ; 
and  he  was  loved  by  liis  friends  and  hated  by  his  enemies : 

"  Lofty  and  sour  to  them  that  loved  him  not, 
But  to  those  men  that  sought  hnii  sweet  as  summer." 

He  met  with  reverses  late  in  life,  and  his  last  years  were 
passed  in  retirement.  He  once  said  that  he  wanted  no 
better  epitaph  than  this :  "  He  taught  chiltb-en." 

20 


354  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1892. 

The  building  for  the  Henry  L.  Pierce  School,  the  latest 
and  most  elegant  of  the  school  structui'es  in  the  Dorchester 
limits,  was  dedicated  May  19,  1892.  The  pupils  in  this 
district  had  formerly  occupied  a  builcUng  on  Thetford 
Street,  two  dwelling-houses  on  Armandine  Street,  and  the 
vestries  of  the  chapel  on  Stanton  Street,  —  all  of  which 
accommodations  were  totally  inadequate.  The  building  is 
situated  on  Washington  Street,  on  the  location  of  the  colo- 
nial mansion  where  General  Henry  Knox  lived  in  1784, 
and  wliich  Daniel  Webster  occupied  about  1822.  Portraits 
of  General  Knox,  Mr.  Webster,  and  Hon.  Henry  L.  Pierce, 
for  whom  the  school  was  named,  are  hung  in  the  exhibition 
hall.  There  are  now  nine  hundi-ed  and  seventy-seven  chil- 
dren in  this  district,  and  eighteen  teachers.  Horace  W. 
Warren  is  the  head-master. 

The  building  erected  for  the  Henry  L.  Pierce  School  is 
a  fitting  close  to  the  liistory  of  education  in  Dorchester 
from  the  establishment  of  the  first  "free  schoole"  to  the 
present  day.  It  seems  to  be  the  crowning  stone  to  the 
monument  on  wliich  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  have 
labored,  little  by  little,  for  more  than  two  centuries  and  a 
half.  The  building  itself  is  not  more  superior  to  the  fu-st 
primitive,  thatched-roof  schoolhouse  than  is  the  quality  of 
the  present  instruction  in  advance  of  that  offered  by  the 
early  schools.  The  people  of  Dorchester  may  well  feel 
proud,  not  only  of  having  established  the  first  free  school, 
in  the  days  of  the  infancy  of  the  town,  but  also  of  being 
able  to  offer  their  cliikben  to-day  the  best  educational 
opportunities  wliich  the  world  affords. 


THE    HENRY    L.    PIERCE    SCHOOL-HOUSE. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


EARLY  DORCHESTER   HOMES. 


>|00D  Old  Dorchester,  in  spite  of  its  rich 
traditions,  has  allowed  the  progress  of  the 
modern  era  to  surmount  the  feelings  of 
pride  which  those  who  loved  the  associa- 
tions of  a  bygone  age  have  ever  cherished 
towards  the  memorials  which  seemed  to 
bind  the  present  with  the  past.  Until  witliin  a  few  years 
several  buildings  were  stancUng  which  had  sheltered  suc- 
cessive generations  from  the  period  of  the  early  fathers 
down  to  the  modern  age ;  some  still  remain,  furnishing 
the  historian  with  interest  and  the  lover  of  the  ancient 
with  delight ;  —  but  unfortunately  most  of  them  have  been 
destroyed  or  removed. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  first  two  years  in  the 
history  of  the  Dorchester  Plantation  were  occupied  by  the 
settlers  in  providing  for  the  immediate  necessities  of  life, 
and  in  erecting  temporary  shelter  for  themselves  and  their 
families.  These  rude  houses  were  mostly  built  of  logs, 
being  covered  with  thatch,  which  grew  in  great  quantities 
upon  the  salt  marshes.  As  the  concUtion  of  tlie  people 
improved,  they  built  better  habitations  ;  in  the  construction 
of  which  they  used  oak  beams,  hewn  out  of  trees  which 
they  found  growing  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  first  settlers  chose  the  sturdy  oak,  which   is  so 


356  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1630, 

characteristic  of  the  people  themselves,  for  the  construction 
of  their  dwellings,  that  their  work  lasted  for  so  many 
years,  and  enabled  their  descendants  to  gain  from  it  an 
insight  into  the  lives  and  characters  of  their  ancestors. 

THE  BARNARD  CAPEN  HOUSE. 

This  old  house,  situated  on  Washington  Street,  nearly 
opposite  Melville  Avenue,  was  built  by  Barnard  Capen,i 
between  1630  and  1637.  This  places  it  among  the  first 
houses  built  in  the  town,  and  makes  it  the  oldest  of 
those  now  standing.  It  is  the  second  oldest  house  in 
New  England.  With  the  exception  of  one  year,  the  house 
has  always  been  in  the  possession  of  some  branch  of  the 
Capen  family. 

Within  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  of  Dorches- 
ter, Mrs.  Aim  Capen  occupied  the  old  house.  She  was 
born  in  1770,  and  was  married  here  in  1792.  Eight  years 
later  she  was  a  widow  with  one  child,  —  the  only  survivor 
of  the  four  which  had  been  born  to  her.  The  memories  of 
the  house  were  naturally  surrounded  by  sadness  and  gloom, 
and  after  the  death  of  her  husband  the  young  widow  left 
Dorchester  for  eight  years.  At  the  end  of  this  period,  time 
had  lightened  her  sorrows,  and  she  returned  to  the  old 
place,  where  she  kept  house  for  her  bachelor  brother  until 
1828.  Mrs.  Davenport,  who  still  lives  near  the  old  liome,  is 
her  grandchild. 

John  Hewins,  the  present  owner  and  occupant,  is  a 
distant  relative  of  Mr.  Capen,  and  he  purchased  the  proi> 
erty  in  1833.  His  memory  of  the  house  extends  back  to 
his  boyhood,  when  he  made  a  visit  to  an  aunt  who  at  the 
time  owned  the  house,  and  lived  in  it.  At  the  time  Mr. 
Hewins  purchased  the  property  it  included  the  land  lying 

'  Tlie  name  of  Barnard  Capen  has  been  mentioned  in  many  places  as 
Bernard.  The  spelling  adopted  here,  however,  seems  to  be  the  correct  one. 
Cf.  N.  E.  Hist.  Gen.  Reg.  1847,  vol.  i.  p.  137,  and  1848,  vol.  ii.  p.  80. 

See  illustration  on  page  137. 


1637.]  BAKLY   DORCHESTER   HOJIES.  357 

back  of  the  house  to  the  next  street  and  to  Wasliington 
Street  on  the  front.  He  has  altered  it  in  some  respects,  by 
adding  several  rooms  to  the  house,  and  by  building  a  shed ; 
but  it  still  retains  much  of  its  ancient  aspect.  Within 
the  house,  the  ceiling  is  very  low,  and  the  beams  project 
below  the  plaster.  The  farthest  end  of  the  house,  consist- 
ing of  four  or  five  rooms,  was  built  first ;  and  some  hun- 
dred years  later  the  end  nearest  the  street  was  added. 
The  house  was  built  on  one  side  with  especial  reference 
to  protection  from  the  Indians ;  and  the  present  owner 
has  found  several  arrows,  during  lais  residence  there,  whieh 
had  been  sent  with  hostile  intention  by  the  wily  savages 
against  the  home-fortress  of  his  ancestors. 

Although  this  ancient  house  remains  in  so  excellent  a 
condition,  even  after  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years,  there  is  but  little  record  of  the  original  o^vner  whose 
name  it  bears.  That  he  did  his  part  in  laying  the  early 
foundation  of  the  town,  there  can  be  no  doubt;  but  he 
did  not  live  long  enough  to  witness  its  progress  and  pros- 
perity. He  died  in  1638,  and  was  the  first  person  to  be 
buried  in  the  Old  Burying-Groiind.  The  old  stone  placed 
over  his  grave  was  found  under  ground,  and  within  a  few 
years  another  has  been  erected,  on  which  the  original  in- 
scription has  been  chiselled,  as  follows :  — 

Here 

lies  the  bodies  of 

Mr.  Barnanl  Capen 

&  Mrs.  Joan  Capen,  his 

wife;   He  died  Nov.  8 

1638,  Aged  76  years 

and  she  died  March 

26,  1653 

Aged  75  years. 

This  is  believed  to  be  the  oldest  inscription  in  the 
United  States,  excepting  perhaps  one  or  two  at  James- 
town, Virginia. 


358  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTER.  [1633. 

THE   CLAP   HOUSE. 

An  earlier  chapter  ^  contains  an  account  of  Roger  Clap, 
who  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  company 
wliich  came  over  in  the  "  Mary  and  Jolui,"  in  1630.  Little, 
however,  seems  to  have  been  written  in  regard  to  liis  Dor- 
chester home,  which  was  situated  on  the  present  Willow 
Court.  Mr.  William  B.  Trask,  who  occuj^ied  the  house  in 
its  present  condition  for  seventeen  years,  investigated  the 
history  of  the  ancient  structure ;  and  from  the  results  of 
his  search  it  seems  possible  that  a  portion  of  tliis  building 
is  perhaps  older  than  any  other  "  early  home  "  in  the  town. 
The  following  extracts  are  taken  from  an  article  on  this 
subject  recently  published  ^  by  Mr.  Trask :  — 

"Roger  Clap  was  born  in  England  in  1609,  came  to  Dor- 
chester in  the  '  Mary  and  John,'  1630,  married  Johanna  Ford  in 
1633,  when  he  was  about  twenty- fom-  years  old,  his  wife  being 
then  but  five  months  over  sixteen  years  of  age.  Of  the  four- 
teen children  born  to  them,  ten  bore  the  following  names,  viz., 
two  by  the  name  of  Experience,  Waitstill,  Presei-ved,  Hopestill, 
Wait,  Thanks,  Desire,  Unite,  and  Supply.  Seven  lived  to  matu- 
rity. These  were  persons  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and 
influence,  as  may  be  seen  by  referring  to  the  volume  entitled 
the  '  Clap  Memorial.' 

"  '  Such  a  Bright  Family  How  rarely  seen, 
No  Ishmael,  Esau,  Dinah  found  therein.' 

"  Of  the  father,  it  is  said,  '  His  Greatness,  Goodness  was.' 
Roger  is  first  mentioned  in  the  Town  Records,  as  we  have  them, 
in  1633,  the  year  of  his  marriage,  and  not  unlikely  his  house 
was  built  not  far  from  that  date.  If  so,  the  portion  of  the 
original  building  now  standing  may  be  older  than  any  other 
house,  or  part  of  a  house,  in  Dorchester.  It  is  conjectured 
Captain  Clap  occupied  it  until  1665,  when  he  removed  with  his 
family  to  the  Castle,  where  he  was  commander  about  twenty- 
one  years.     A  century  or  so  later,  or  in  1767,  the  house  was 

1  Ante,  p.  92.  ^  Dorchester  Beacon. 


1633.]  EAELY   DORCHESTER   H05IES.  359 

enlarged  by  Captain  Lemuel  Clapp,  of  the  fifth  generation  from 
Nicholas,  a  cousin  of  Roger,  with  additions,  as  we  have  been 
informed,  on  the  front,  and  at  the  ends  and  rear.  On  the  third 
of  November  of  the  next  year,  1768,  Captain  Lemuel  married 
for  his  second  wife  Miss  Rebecca  Dexter,  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Samuel  Dexter,  of  Dedham.  They  naturally  looked  around  for 
paper  to  adorn  the  walls  of  the  east,  or  best  room  in  the  house. 
It  is  presumed  they  consulted  the  columns  of  the  '  Boston  Ga- 
zette'  for  April  20,  or  perhaps  May  9,  1768,  and  saw  there  the 
advertisement  of  Ziphiou  Thayer,  an  elder  brother  of  Marshal 
Arodi  Thayer,  a  well-known  character  in  Dorchester,  who  offi- 
cially arrested  John  Hancock,  in  connection  with  the  sloop 
'  Liberty  '  affair.  Ziphion  Thayer  advertised  in  said  paper,  '  A 
Large  Assortment  of  Paper  Hangings,  Cheap  for  Cash,'  '  just 
imported  from  London,'  to  be  sold  at  his  store,  called  the 
'  Golden  Lyon.'  No  other  newspaper  in  Boston,  that  we  can 
leani,  advertised  such  a  luxury.  So  thither,  doubtless,  the 
newly  wedded  or  to  be  wedded  couple  wended  then-  way,  and 
made  a  selection  of  choice  paper  for  then-  special  purpose.  It 
proved  a  superior  article,  in  gay  colors,  having  columns  wreathed 
with  flowers  of  a  bright  hue,  with  much  ornamental  work  on 
the  surface  of  the  paper,  making  the  room,  when  finished,  pre- 
sumably, one  of  the  handsomest  apartments  at  that  time  in 
the  town  of  Dorchester.  This  paper  remained  on  the  walls, 
some  of  it  in  a  fair  condition,  for  one  hundred  and  four  years, 
having  been  taken  off  in  1872,  on  the  death  of  Miss  Catherine 
Clapp,  in  her  ninetieth  year,  the  last  sm-s'ivor  of  the  family  born 
in  that  house.  Some  of  this  centennial  paper,  in  our  possession, 
was  taken  off  at  the  time  we  left  the  house,  after  a  residence 
there  of  seventeen  years. 

"  The  last  mentioned  Captain  Clapp  was  a  commander  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution.  Some  of  the  officers  and  soldiers  were 
quartered  at  his  house.  A  short  distance  from  thence  were  bar- 
racks for  the  men,  who  attempted,  it  is  said,  to  tear  off  the 
paper  from  the  walls  to  adorn  then-  hats,  but  without  success,  it 
being  so  adhesive.  The  bayonet  marks  made  by  the  soldiers 
are,  or  were,  to  be  seen  in  the  ceiling  of  the  chamber  above.  In 
front  of  the  house,  a  few  years  ago,  were  five  large  willow  trees, 


860  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1637. 

the  aggregate  gii-th  being  oue  hundred  and  five  feet.  They  have 
since  gone  to  decay,  and  Willow  Court,  once  so  beautiful  and 
attractive,  is  robbed  of  its  romance  and  loveliness." 

THE   BRIDGHAM    HOUSE. 

Among  the  earliest  houses  of  the  town  should  be 
included  that  occupied  by  Jonathan  Bridgham  during  his 
entire  life  of  ninety-one  years.  It  was  situated  on  Cottage 
Street,  at  the  junction  of  Humplii-eys  and  Franklin  Streets, 
and  was  probably  built  some  time  before  1637.  Robert 
Pond,  who  died  that  year,  was  its  owner.  In  May,  1873, 
the  building  was  removed  in  order  to  widen  the  street. 

THE   PIERCE   HOUSE.l 

The  Pierce  House,  now  standing  on  Oak  Avenue,  and 
which  is  among  the  best  preserved  of  the  ancient  land- 
marks, was  built  by  Robert  Pierce  about  1640.  The  story 
goes  that  Mr.  Pierce  was  one  of  the  comjjany  on  board  the 
good  ship  "■  Mary  and  John,"  and  that,  when  the  party  was 
landed  at  Nantasket  Point,  he  made  his  way,  with  others, 
to  the  Neponset  River,  and  settled  on  what  was  known  for 
many  years  as  "  Pine  Neck."  As  Mr.  Pierce  belonged 
to  one  of  the  most  respected  families  among  the  early- 
settlers,  it  seems  probable  that  if  he  had  come  on  the 
"  Mary  and  John  "  his  name  would  have  been  mentioned 
in  connection  with  some  of  the  earliest  land  grants.  The 
Town  Records,  however,  do  not  mention  Mr.  Pierce's 
name  until  1639,  when,  "  at  a  Generall  meeteing  in  Janu- 
ary it  is  ordered  that  Robert  Pierce  shall  be  a  Commoner," 
—  the  only  case  known  in  the  history  of  the  town.  In 
the  list  of  those  to  whom  grants  of  land  were  made 
March  18,  1637,  the  name  of  Robert  Pierce  is  included; 
but  it  is  written  last,  and,  with  that  of  Tho.  Tredwell,  is 
in  a  different  colored  ink,  —  making  it  probable  that  it 
was  a  later  entry. 

1  See  illustration  on  page  165. 


1640.]  EAKLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  361 

The  uncertainty  in  regard  to  Mr.  Pierce,  however,  does 
not  affect  the  date  of  the  erection  of  the  house,  as  it  is  not 
questioned  that  Robert  came  to  Dorchester  a  few  years,  at 
least,  before  liis  name  is  mentioned  on  the  records.  He  is 
supposed  to  have  moved  upon  the  lull,  his  boundary  lines 
running  about  forty  rods  wide  from  north  to  south  from  the 
tidewater  on  the  east,  and  a  long  distance  west,  the  Minot 
property  bounding  his  on  the  south.  He  was  known  as 
Robert  Pierce  of  "y°  greate  lotts." 

It  is  interesting  to  glance  briefly  at  the  history  of  the 
family  from  wliich  the  Dorchester  Pierces  trace  their 
descent.  The  name  was  originally  "  Percy  "  or  "  Percie," 
and  Robert  Pierce  was  related  to  the  Percys  of  Northum- 
berland. George  Percie,  who  was  a  prominent  member  of 
John  Smith's  Virginia  colony,  was  also  an  ancestor.  Tra- 
dition goes  back  farther  still,  claiming  that  the  line  can  be 
traced  to  Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  and  includes  the  name  of 
Harry  Hotspur.     Marion  Harland  writes  >  of  them :  — • 

"The  American  branch  of  the  ancient  race  were  people  of 
marked  individuality  from  the  date  of  their  landing.  To  fru- 
gality and  industry,  they  added  stern  integrity,  strong  wills, 
bravery,  and,  like  sparks  struck  from  iron,  fire  of  disposition 
and  speech  that  kept  alive  in  the  memory  of  contemporaries 
the  tale  of  the  Hotspur  blood.  They  had  many  children,  as  a 
rule,  brought  them  up  with  equal  vigor  and  rigor,  and  lived  long 
in  the  land  they  believed  the  Lord  had  given  them." 

The  family  have  still  in  their  possession  several  pieces 
of  furniture  which  Robert  is  said  to  have  brought  with 
him.  Among  these  are  an  oak  bureau,  a  small,  light 
stand,  a  mirror,  and  a  Malacca  cane,  silver  banded,  with 
an  ivory  head.  The  most  valued  relic,  perhaps,  consists 
of  two  small  cakes  of  bread,  now  hardened  and  discolored 
by  age,  but  still  intact.  These  heirlooms  are  among  the 
few  which  now  remain,  —  relics  of  the  bygone  age,  — 
connecting  the  past  with  the  present. 

1  The  Homemaker,  February,  1889. 


362  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEE.  [1640. 

Goodman  Piei-ee  married  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Green- 
oway,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Dorchester.  Robert  died 
January  11,  1664 ;  but  Anne  outlived  her  husband  by 
thirty-one  years,  reaching,  according  to  her  gravestone, 
the  rare  age  of  104  years. 

The  frame  of  the  house  is  of  Massachusetts  black  oak, 
not  unlikely  grown  in  "y*  greats  lotts."  Great  beams, 
twelve  by  foui-teen  inches  thick,  are  pinned  together  like 
the  ribs  of  a  ship,  giving  a  heavy  appearance  to  the  low, 
wainscoted  rooms.  The  deep  windows,  with  window- 
seats,  are  closed  with  the  same  wooden  shutters  which 
were  put  up  to  defend  the  early  occupants  from  the  attacks 
of  the  Indians.  Between  the  outer  walls  is  the  identical 
seaweed,  gathered  when  the  house  was  fost  built,  to  serve 
the  double  purpose  of  protecting  the  inmates  from  the 
severe  cold  of  the  winter,  and  also  to  serve  as  a  safe- 
guard against  the  sharp  arrows  of  the  savages.  As  a 
fiu-ther  protection  from  Indian  attacks,  there  was  a  trap- 
door in  the  garret  which  led  to  a  secret  chamber,  so  inge- 
niously constructed  that  now  that  the  flooring  has  been 
laid  solidly  above  it,  one  examines  the  lower  story  in  vain 
for  a  trace  of  the  room,  which  is  at  least  six  feet  square. 
Succeeding  generations  have  made  additions  or  slightly 
altered  the  house,  but  parts  of  it  stand  substantially  to-day 
as  they  did  when  Robert  Pierce  bequeathed  the  dwelling  to 
liis  son  Thomas  in  1664.  At  that  time  tliis  and  the  Minot 
House  were  the  only  dwellings  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 

The  will  which  he  left  is  a  most  interesting  docu- 
ment, which  closes  with  these  words:  "And  now  my 
Dear  child  a  ffathers  Blessing  I  Bequeath  unto  both  you 
and  yours,  bee  Loving  and  kind  one  unto  another,  Stand 
up  in  your  places  for  God  and  for  His  Ordinances  wliile 
you  Live,  then  hee  will  bee  for  you  and  Bless  you." 

Thomas  Pierce  continued  to  improve  the  estate  ;  and  in 
1696  built  the  barn,  the  frame  of  which  is  now  in  a  stable 
on  the  estate.     He  married  Mary,   daughter  of    William 


1640.]  EAKLY    DORCHESTER    HOIMES.  363 

Fry,  of  Weymouth,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  nine 
childi-en.  Thomas  died  October  26,  1706,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one.  His  will,  dated  June  1,  1704,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing property  to  his  son  John.     It  is  of  special  interest, 

as  it  shows  the  extent  of  the  estate :  — 

£    s.  d. 

The  house  and  twenty-five  foot  of  barn 70.  00  00 

20  acres  upland  adjoining  to  s.aid  house 100.  00  00 

6  acres  upland  and  mead  bought  of  Mr.  Minot     ....  42.  10  00 

10  acres  meadow  bought  of  Mr.  Minot 80.  00  00 

4      "        wood  land      "         John  Wales 6.  00  00 

,9      "        land  in  third  district 13.  00  00 

10  1-2  acres  upland  at  Popes  Hill 42.  00  00 

9             "            "         Mrs.  Marther's  thirds 28.  00  00 

One  cane 00.  8.    00 

Three  old  coats 00.  6.    00 

Two  yards  Scotch  cloth,  one  silk  handkerchief     ....  00.   8.    00 

One  shirt,  one  green  rug,  one  sea  bed,  two  hammers  .     .     .  00.  11.  00 

Two  turning  tools,  fishing  lines,  with  fifteen  pounds  of  lead  00.  07.  00 

Five  pounds  shot,  one  gun  (  2£),  an  old  iron,  4s  in  cheese  2.  19.    00 

Two  spoons,  hemp,  shingle  nails  in  beans 1.     4.    00 

In  corn,  stone  and  glass  bottles,  books,  bags 3.     00  00 

Reserved  in  cash 00.  5.    00 

John  Pierce,  who  thu.s  became  the  owner  of  the  house, 
was  a  famous  sj^ortsman,  and  is  said  to  have  killed  more 
than  tliirty  thousand  brants.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Church,  and  a  pious  man.  An  anecdote  is  related  wliich 
illustrates  the  character  of  the  man,  as  well  as  of  the  times. 
It  was  the  custom  of  the  men  in  this  region  to  shave  not 
oftener  than  once  a  week,  and  the  time  chosen  for  the  per- 
formance of  this  duty  was  usually  Saturday  afternoon,  in 
order  to  be  in  presentable  condition  on  the  Lord's  day.  On 
one  Saturday  afternoon  John  Pierce  was  later  than  usual 
in  beginning  his  weekly  task.  Perhaps  his  duties  about 
the  farm  had  delayed  him,  or  perhaps  he  had  followed  his 
gun  too  long,  —  at  all  events,  the  sun  sank  below  the  hori- 
zon just  as  he  had  removed  the  beard  from  one-half  of  liis 
face.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Sabbath  began  at 
sunset  on  Saturday  night ;  and  as  the  last  ray  disaj^peared, 


364  GOOD   OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1640. 

the  worthy  man  silently  wiped  liis  razor,  and  laid  it  aside. 
On  the  following  day  John  led,  as  usual,  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren to  church,  sitting  imperturbably  beside  them  in  the 
pew  with  one  half  of  his  face  cleanly  shaved,  and  the  other 
half  bristling  with  the  week's  stubble. 

When  John  Pierce  died  in  174-4,  he  left  the  property  to 
his  son  Samuel,  who,  in  turn,  bequeathed  it  to  liis  son 
Samuel,  who,  during  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  held  fii'st 
a  commission  as  captain  under  George  III.,  signed  by 
Thomas  Hutchinson,  aud  dated  October  21,  1772,  which 
he  gave  up ;  and  later  took  a  commission  as  lieutenant- 
colonel,  signed  by  the  major  part  of  the  Council  of  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  dated  February  14,  1776.  Both  of  these 
commissions  are  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 

Colonel  Samuel  Pierce  is  perhaps  the  most  prominent  of 
the  early  possessors  of  the  family  estate.  ^  His  habits  were 
said  to  be  simple  and  methodical,  liis  rules  of  life  and  con- 
duct few  and  inflexible ;  and  in  domestic  life  he  is  said  to 
have  been  a  martinet.  At  twelve  o'clock  each  day  he 
came  home  to  dinner,  and  in  passing  the  corner  of  the 
kitchen  he  would  cough  loudly  and  meaningly.  From 
that  moment  until  he  departed  for  the  labors  of  the  after- 
noon, not  one  of  the  children  who  took  dinner  with  their 
parents  dared  to  utter  a  word. 

The  right  end  of  the  Pierce  House,  as  it  now  stands, 
was  built  by  Colonel  Samuel  at  the  time  of  his  marriage. 
A  spacious  parlor,  constructed  after  his  idea,  had  the  large 
number  of  nine  doors.  During  his  occupancy,  on  February 
5,  1776,  thirty-eight  soldiers  came  into  the  house. 

Lewis  Pierce  inherited  the  house  on  the  death  of  his 
father,  and  lived  in  it  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1871. 
He  served  liis  country  in  the  War  of  1812,  as  Colonel 
Samuel  had  done  in  the  Revolution.  During  Ms  residence 
in  the  house,  the  large  fireplace  in  the  family  sitting-room 
was  altered  to  adapt  it  to  modern  requirements,  and  the 

1  Ante,  p.  158. 


16i0.]  EARLY  DORCHESTER    HOMES.  365 

beam  running  across  the  throat  of  the  chimney  was  taken 
out.  The  removal  of  this  beam  disclosed  a  cavity  in  the 
masonry  above,  left  by  taking  out  one  brick.  Witliin  this 
was  found  a  pair  of  slippers,  wliich  had  been  placed  there 
perhaps  two  hundi-ed  years  before.  Were  they  part  of 
Anne  Greenoway's  wedding  trousseau,  or  did  they  belong 
to  some  winsome  dame  of  a  later  generation  ? 

Lewis  Francis  Pierce,  son  of  Lewis,  was  the  next  owner 
of  the  house.  Upon  Iris  death  in  1888,  the  house  came  into 
the  hands  of  its  present  possessor,  William  A.  Pierce.  In 
all  its  liistory  the  house  has  never  been  out  of  the  posses- 
sion of  a  male  descendant  of  the  family.  Handed  down, 
as  it  has  been  from  father  and  son  for  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years,  we  may  consider  it  as  a  proof  of  the 
industry  and  sterling  worth  of  the  early  fathers,  who  birilt 
not  for  the  present  only,  but  for  "  succeeding  generations." 

THE   ISHNOT    HOUSE.  ^ 

The  exact  date  of  the  erection  of  the  Minot  House  is 
not  known,  but  it  is  certain  that  it  is  among  the  oldest  in 
the  town.  Josselyn,  writing  in  1663,  on  the  occasion  of 
his  second  voyage  to  New  England,  mentions  it  among 
others,  and  the  Minot  family  jilace  the  date  about  1640. 
The  hoase  was  situated  on  Chickatawbut  Street,  and  was 
built  by  George  Minot,  an  elder  of  the  Church. 

The  house  was  typical  of  the  construction  of  those  early 
days,  —  a  wooden  structiu'e  with  its  frame  solidly  filled 
with  bricks,  either  for  durability  or  to  make  it  bullet-proof. 
So  solidly  was  it  built  that  it  witlistood  the  effects  of  time, 
jdelding  only  to  the  flames,  which  destroyed  it  in  Novem- 
ber, 1871. 

Here  was  brought  the  old  cradle  which  came  over  in  the 

"  Mary  and  John,"  in  which  the  worthy  Puritan  rocked 

his  sturdy  offspring,  and  which  is  one  of  the  few  relics  of 

the  bygone  age  wliich  have  been  left  to  us.     Mrs.  Bernard 

1  See  illustration  on  page  75. 


366  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1640. 

Whitman,  in  an  entertaining  article  on  "•  Early  Dorches- 
ter," '  thus  speaks  of  this  interesting  heirloom :  — 

"  It  was  only  an  oaken  cradle  that  attracted  my  attention; 
but  two  hundred  and  fifty-niue  years  ago  the  old  oaken  cradle 
jnade  a  voyage  in  the  good  ship  '  Mary  and  John  '  from  Dorches- 
ter in  England  to  what  is  now  Dorchester  in  New  England  ;  and, 
from  that  day  to  this,  the  babies  of  the  Miuot  family  have  been 
rocked  to  sleep  in  the  old  cradle.  It  is  battered  and  woru ; 
solid,  but  rude  in  its  best  days  ;  the  knobs  at  the  corners  whit- 
tled, perhaps  gnawed  by  the  wee  toddlers  who,  steadying  them- 
selves in  their  uncertain  steps,  followed  the  savage  Instinct  of 
humanity,  and  strengthened  then  little  jaws  on  the  oaken  balls 
which  must  have  seemed  providentially  placed  within  then- 
reach.  But  the  interest  of  the  cradle  is  not  the  interest  of  the 
babyhood  of  humanity  alone.  Those  worn  knobs,  the  solid 
rockers,  the  panelled  sides,  and  the  ancient  hood,  rouse  thrill- 
ing memories  of  the  infancy  of  our  country,  of  the  men  who 
came  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of  New  England,  who  fought  and 
toiled  and  prayed  for  her  welfare,  and  made  sacrifices  we  little 
dream  of,  that  we  should  reap  the  hai-vest  where  they  sowed 
the  seed." 

The  cradle  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Joseph  Grafton 
Minot,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 

More  famous  than  the  house  itself,  perhaps,  is  the  legend 
of  the  heroism  of  a  maid-servant  in  the  family  of  Jolui 
Minot,  during  King  Philip's  War,  in  1675,  which  has  be- 
come associated  with  it.  One  Sunday  morning,  "  in  sermon 
time,"  a  straggler  from  Philip's  band  came  to  the  house, 
and  tried  to  enter.  It  hapjiened  that  a  maid-servant  and 
two  young  children  were  alone  in  the  house  at  the  time, 
but  the  girl  proved  equal  to  the  emergency.  She  took  in 
the  situation  at  a  glance,  and  quickly  concealed  the  chil- 
di-en  beneath  two  brass  kettles.  Then,  running  up  stairs, 
and  taking  down  the  family  musket,  she  prepared  her- 
self to  defend  her  castle.  The  Indian  discharged  his  gun, 
1  New  England  Magazine. 


"A  PURITAN  FAMILY," 

SHOWING    THE    MINOT    CRADLE. 


1640.]  EAELY    DORCHESTER   HOJIES.  36  & 

but  fortunately  liis  aim  was  poor.  The  girl,  however,  was 
more  successful ;  for  her  shot  hit  the  intruder  iu  the 
shoulder  just  as  he  was  getting  in  at  the  window.  Fu- 
rious at  the  opposition,  the  Indian  di'opped  liis  giui,  and 
again  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  gain  an  entrance,  but 
the  brave  girl  had  not  yet  exhausted  her  resoui'ces.  Seiz- 
ing a  shovel,  she  filled  it  with  live  coals  from  the  fire- 
place near  by,  and  thrust  them  in  liis  face.  This  was 
too  much,  and  with  a  savage  yell  the  Intlian  fled  to  the 
woods,  where  he  was  found  dead  soon  afterwards.  It  is 
said  that  "  the  Government  of  Massachusetts  Bay  pre- 
sented tills  brave  young  woman  with  a  silver  wi'istbaud, 
on  which  her  name  was  engraved,  with  this  motto :  '  She 
slew  the  Narragansett  hunter." 

Elder  George  Minot,  the  builder  of  the  house,  was  one 
of  the  fiist  settlers  of  the  town,  and  he  owned  the  land 
which  has  been  known  as  "  Squantum."  He  was  made  a 
freeman  in  1634,  and  was  a  representative  to  the  General 
Court  in  1635  and  1636.  He  was  a  ruling  elder  of  the 
Church  for  thirty  years,  and  died  December  24, 1671,  in  the 
seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age.  "His  death,"  say  the 
records,  "was  much  lamented  by  the  town,  whose  weal 
he  sought,  and  liberties  defended."  He  was  a  contem- 
porary with  Elder  Humphrey,  and  it  is  said  that  the 
following  lines  were  once  to  be  found  in  the  Old  Bui-ying- 
Ground : — 

"  Here  lie  the  bodies  of  Unite  Humphrey  and  Shining  Minot, 
Such  names  as  these,  they  never  die  not." 

THE   BLAKE   HOUSE. 

The  house  which  still  bears  the  name  of  the  "  Blake 
House  "  was  undoubtedly  built  previous  to  1650  by  Elder 
James  Blake.  In  his  will  he  bequeathed  his  property  to- 
Ills  son  in  the  following  terms  :  — 

"  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  son  Johu  Blake  &  his  heirs,  my 
Dwelling  house,  Barns,  Orchard,  Yard,  Garden,  and  ten  acres 


370  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTBR.  [1650. 

of   Laud    adjoyning   more  or  less,  it  being  partly  Upland  & 
partly  Meadow." 

James  Blake  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  affairs  of  the 
town,  holding  some  public  office  every  year  from  1658  to 
1685.  He  was  selectman  for  tlrirteen  years  ;  and  also  served 
as  rater,  constable,  deputy  to  the  General  Court,  clerk  of  the 
writs,  recorder,  and  sergeant  in  the  military  comj^any,  a 
position  which  at  that  time  was  considered  a  post  of  honor. 
He  was  deacon  of  the  Church  for  fourteen  years,  and  was 
ruling  elder  for  about  the  same  length  of  time.  His  death 
occurred  June  28,  1700. 

The  Blake  House  remained  in  the  family  until  1825, 
when  other  owners  took  possession  of  it.  From  time  to 
time  alterations  and  additions  have  been  made ;  but  por- 
tions of  the  house  remain  to-day  substantially  as  they  did 
when  the  worthy  elder  bequeathed  it  to  his  heir.  It  is  now 
standing  in  the  rear  of  150  East  Cottage  Street.  A  pic- 
ture of  the  house  as  it  now  appears  is  to  be  found  on 
page  63. 

■THE   GARDNER    HOUSE. 

The  Gardner  House,  formerly  on  Pleasant  Street,  has 
been  recently  taken  down,  and  a  modern  structure  has  been 
placed  on  its  site.  It  cannot  be  ascertained  by  whom  tliis 
building  was  erected,  but  it  certainly  antedates  the  Revo- 
lution by  several  years.  In  the  early  part  of  tliis  century 
Ebenezer  Niles  was  the  owner  of  the  house ;  but  it  is  not 
certain  that  the  original  owner  was  lais  ancestor.  Mr. 
Niles  was  a  merchant  on  Central  Wharf,  being  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Newell  &  Niles.  After  Mr.  Niles  gave 
up  his  residence  here,  the  house  came  into  possession  of  the 
Gardner  family,  and,  owing  to  the  prominence  attained  by 
Governor  Gardner,  will  go  down  to  history  as  the  "  Gardner 
House." 

The  building  became  well  known  for  another  reason 
than    the   fact   that  it  was   the   residence   of    Governor 


1650.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  371 

Garcbier.  Nothing,  in  Dorcliester  at  least,  ever  approached 
it  for  eccentricity  of  construction.  Its  appearance  was 
that  of  tlie  upper  jjart  of  an  excursion  steamer,  the  build- 
ing being  long  and  rounded  at  either  end.  These  round 
ends  were  added  to  the  house  by  Governor  Gardner's  father. 
The  eaves  were  surmounted  with  a  low  balustrade,  and  a 
piazza  encircled  the  entire  building.  That  the  eccentricity 
of  the  exterior  was  carried  within  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  one  room  is  said  to  have  been  papered  with  the  news 
journals  of  the  day. 

The  reminiscences  of  Captain  John  Codman,  in  connec- 
tion with  tlus  house,  wliich  appeared  some  years  ago,i  give 
so  excellent  a  picture  of  Dorchester  life  at  that  time  that 
they  are  quoted  here  at  length :  — 

"  Dr.  Gardner  gave  a  party.  There  was  nothing  remarkable 
about  that,  but  it  was  an  iunovatiou.  It  was  non-sectarian, 
and  such  a  thing  had  not  been  known  since  sectariauism  in  aU 
its  acrimony  developed  in  the  early  days  of  this  century.  Be- 
fore that  time  parties  were  common  enough,  and  no  one  asked 
if  they  were  Orthodox  or  Unitarian,  simply  because  those  terms 
were  not  known.  It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Dorchester  were  bigoted  Cahiuists.  The  covenant  of 
the  Fust  Church,  adopted  in  1636,  and  for  aught  I  know  sub- 
scribed to  to-day,  was  liberal  and  all-embracing ;  so  that  for 
more  than  a  century  and  a  half  people  lived  peaceably  under  it, 
died  happily,  and  all  went  to  heaven  together.  But  the  time 
came  for  emphasizing  the  '  distinctive  doctrines,'  and  the  dis- 
covery was  made  by  a  party  in  the  community  that  a  belief  in 
something  oui'  fathers  never  concerned  themselves  about  was 
absolutely  necessary  for  salvation ;  and  that  henceforth  the 
Almighty  would  make  the  distinction.  This  is  why  these  doc- 
trines were  called  '  distinctive.' 

"People  were  not  content  to  fight  the  battle  out  in  church, 
but  they  carried  the  warfare  into  their  homes,  to  the  sorrow 
especially  of  the  children.  The  decrees  of  God  and  the  test  of 
the  Assembly's  Catechism,  which  were  quite  as  unintelligible, 

'  Dorchester  Beacon. 
21 


372  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1660. 

did  not  concern  us  a  bit.  But  it  was  a  great  deal  to  us  that 
we  were  separated  from  oui-  playmates,  and  that  the  pall  of  the- 
ology was  thrown  over  the  innocent  enjoyments  of  our  lives. 
I  do  not  think  that  the  '  Unitarian  controversy '  was  for  the 
advantage  of  anybody  in  this  world  or  the  next ;  and  I  believe, 
now  that  we  hear  no  more  of  it,  we  are  all  happier  and  quite  as 
good. 

"  It  was  not  so  when  Dr.  Gardner  gave  his  party  and  aston- 
ished his  friends  and  enemies  in  religion  by  sending  out  his 
invitations  without  regard  to  age  or  sex  or  '  previous  condition 
of  servitude '  in  religion.  He  was  a  Unitarian,  and  he  invited 
the  Orthodox  minister  as  well  as  his  own.  Orthodox  and  Uni- 
tarian deacons  met  face  to  face,  and  actually  shook  hands  and 
drank  punch  to  the  health  of  each  other,  for  rum  was  not  then 
forbidden  by  the  doctrines  of  either. 

"The  party  was  for  a  long  time  the  town  talk.  Many  ap- 
proved of  the  bold  stand  taken  by  Dr.  Gardner,  but  many 
ominously  shook  their  heads. 

"It  was  in  winter;  the  sleighing  was  excellent.  Old  and 
young,  as  I  have  intimated,  participated  in  the  festivity.  Our 
double  sleigh  was  capable  of  holding  only  my  father  and  mother, 
my  two  elder  sisters,  and  myself.  There  was  no  room  for  the 
'  hu'ed  man,'  and  so  I  was  the  driver.  The  bells  jingled  merrily 
in  the  clear,  frosty  air,  and  we  speedily  slid  over  the  intervening 
two  miles.  I  brought  the  sleigh  up  to  the  front  doorstep  as 
cleverly  as  I  have  since  laid  a  steamer  alongside  the  dock,  and, 
discharging  my  passengers,  drove  on  to  the  stable.  There  Dr. 
Gardner's  '  hired  man '  awaited  me,  and  assisted  me  in  blanket- 
ing my  horses  and  making  all  snug.  '  Now,  then,'  said  he, 
'  come  into  the  kitchen,  and  I  will  introduce  you  to  our  help. 
What 's  your  name  ?  ' 

"  Somehow  the  spirit  moved  me  on  the  instant  to  fall  in  with 
his  mistake.  '  Oh,  they  all  call  me  John,'  I  said,  '  and  that 's 
name  enough.' 

"  '  Well,  come  along.' 

"We  entered  the  kitchen  door  together,  and  inhaled  a  pleas- 
ant aroma,  combined  of  escalloped  oysters,  cake,  coffee,  punch, 
and  various  other  eatables   and  drinkables.      The   cook  was 


1650.]  EABLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  373 

attending  to  her  duties  around  a  blazing  wood  fire,  over  wliicli 
various  utensils  huug  on  the  crane,  while  she  occasionally 
opened  the  door  of  the  brick  oven,  just  to  see  how  the  cake  was 
getting  on.  She  was  a  comely  woman,  was  Mrs.  Withington, 
to  whom  I  was  first  introduced,  and  her  complexion  was  height- 
ened by  her  occupation. 

"  '  Sit  right  down,'  she  said  cheerily,  '  and  take  a  cup  of  hot 
coffee,  for  you  must  be  e'enamost  froze.' 

"  The  offering  was  most  welcome. 

"  '  John,'  said  my  escort,  '  let  me  make  you  acquainted  with 
Miss  AVetherbee  and  Miss  Tolmau.  I  call  'em  Pho?be  and  Susan 
for  short,  same  as  they  call  me  Dan.  You  may  call  'em  so,  too. 
Now  we  're  all  right ; '  and  Dan  began  to  whistle  a  tune. 

"Of  course  I  was  polite  to  Phoebe  and  Susan.  AVhy  not? 
The  whole  kitchen  cabinet  were  American  and  Dorchester  born, 
as  well  as  myself.  We  were  equals.  There  are  no  Americans 
in  our  kitchens  now ;  but  if  I  could  find  one,  I  would  respect 
him  more  than  any  one  of  the  Tammany  men  who  sit  in  high 
places  in  New  York. 

"  The  conversation  first  started,  as  it  did  in  the  parlor,  on  the 
weather,  and  then  became  general. 

"  '  How  do  you  like  your  place? '  asked  Dan. 

"  '  Fiist  rate,'  I  replied  ;   '  how  do  you  like  yours?  ' 

"  '  Oh,  well  enough,'  he  said,  '  and  I  guess  in  some  ways  I  've 
got  the  advantage  of  you.  Don't  you  have  to  go  in  to  prayers, 
and  say  catechism  ?  ' 

"  I  confessed  that  we  did. 

"  '  Well,  we  don't  do  nothing  of  the  kind,'  said  Dan ;  '  our 
folks  is  Unitarians.' 

"  '  Don't  iiave  prayers  ! '  I  exclaimed,  in  astonishment ;  for  I 
always  thought  well  of  prayers,  and  do  now,  although  I  detested 
the  catechism  and  the  Sabbath. 

"  '  No;  Dr.  Harris  prays  long  enough  every  Sunday  to  last 
the  whole  of  us  all  the  week.' 

"  I  thought  of  Dan's  reasoning  when  I  afterwards  read  the 
story  of  Franklin,  who  asked  his  father  to  say  a  blessing  over 
the  barrel  of  pork  and  the  bag  of  beans  in  the  cellar,  as  an 
economy  of  time. 


374  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1650. 

"  '  Do  they  dance  up  at  your  house? '  asked  Phoebe. 

' ' '  Dance  ! '  I  repeated  ;  '  not  much ! ' 

"  '  Oh,  pshaw,'  said  Susan,  '  I  was  thinking  that  by  and  by 
we  four  would  have  a  dance,  after  supper's  over,  —  but  I  sup- 
pose you  don't  know  how.' 

"I  was  obliged  to  own  that  I  did  not;  and  both  the  girls 
regarded  me  with  a  mixture  of  sneers  and  compassion. 

"  '  Say,  what  wages  do  you  get? '  asked  Dan. 

"'I  don't  get  any  regular  wages,'  I  said;  'but  I  get  my 
clothes,  and  sometimes  they  give  me  money ;  I  'm  satisfied.' 

"  '  Now  I  get  twelve  dollars  a  month,'  said  Dan,  '  and  find 
my  own  clothes ;  but  I  sliould  n't  wonder  if  you  was  the  best 
off.     They  dress  you  pretty  slick,  any  way.' 

"  And  then  I  was  rather  pleased  to  have  Phoebe  put  her 
pretty  hand  against  my  shirt-bosom  for  the  purpose  of  examin- 
ing my  breast-pin. 

"  '  Solid  gold,  I  declare,'  she  cried;  'and  as  I  live,  a  dear 
little  diamond  in  it ! ' 

"  '  Yes,'  I  said,  '  and  as  bright  as  somebody's  eyes.' 

"  '  Whose  eyes?  '  asked  Susan. 

"  '  Yours,  and  Phoebe's,  too,'  I  answered  with  gallantry  and 
impartiality.  Fortunately  dress  coats  were  not  then  in  vogue 
for  youths  of  my  years,  or  I  might  have  been  detected.  Just 
then  the  parlor  bell  rang,  and  Phoebe,  answering  it,  soon  came 
back  with  her  report. 

"  'Dan,'  she  said,  'do  you  know  anything  about  Dr.  Cod- 
man's  son?  His  father  says  he  went  to  the  barn  with  the 
sleigh,  and  he  has  not  come  in  yet.  He  's  afraid  there  's  some- 
thing the  matter  with  the  horses.' 

"The  cat  was  now  out  of  the  bag;  but  the  cat  had  had  a 
very  good  time  while  in  it.     I  was  obliged  to  own  up. 

"  '  Now  please  don't  be  put  out,  any  of  you,'  I  begged  im- 
ploringly. '  It  was  Dan's  fault.  He  brought  me  in  here.  I 
could  n't  help  it,  and  I  'm  sorry  they  missed  me.  I  'd  rather  stay 
here.    I  don't  want  to  go  into  the  parlor,  but  I  suppose  I  must.' 

"  There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  and  then  the  rosy- faced 
Mrs.  Withington  remarked  :  '  John,  you  are  a  bad  boy  ;  I  have 
heard  of  you  before.' 


1650.]  EABLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  375 

"  '  Well,  I  don't  think  he  is  a  bad  boy,'  said  Phrebe,  hanging 
her  head. 

"  '  Nor  I  either,'  said  Susan. 

"  I  did  not  care  to  get  Dan's  opinion,  for  I  think  he  had  been 
a  little  jealous  of  me.  So  I  shook  hands  with  them  all  around, 
and  went  out  by  the  door  by  which  I  had  entered.  It  was 
arranged  that  I  should  go  to  the  front  door  to  ring  the  bell,  and 
that  Phoebe  should  answer  the  call  and  let  me  in.  It  was  not 
very  dark  in  the  hall,  but  it  was  dark  enough  for  Phoebe 
and  me. 

"'Where  have  you  been?'  asked  my  father,  with  no  little 
emphasis. 

"'Well,  sir,'  I  replied,  'We  might  have  brought  Ephraim 
along ;  he  might  have  squeezed  in,  and  there  would  have  been 
no  trouble  in  quieting  the  horses.  But  Dr.  Gardner's  man  and 
I  brought  them  all  right  at  last.' 

"  He  was  just  then  engaged  in  an  historical  discussion  with 
Dr.  Harris,  and  he  did  not  care  to  question  me  any  further. 
The  rest  of  the  evening  passed  pleasantly  enough.  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of  some  lovely  Unitarian  young  ladies,  and 
although  I  had  serious  doubts  of  their  ever  getting  to  heaven,  I 
thought  they  were  angelic  enough  for  this  earth.  In  fact,  I  was 
greatly  surprised  that  they  and  the  young  gentlemen,  none  of 
whom  I  should  have  been  likely  to  have  known  but  for  Dr. 
Gardner's  non-sectarian  party,  could  be  such  agreealile  people. 
Certainly,  as  far  as  I  was  concerned,  the  party  aU  over  the 
house  was  a  grand  success." 

AN   HISTORIC    BARK. 

Until  1861  an  old  barn'  stood  at  the  corner  of  Adams 
and  Ashraont  Streets,  which  deserves  to  be  included  among 
the  historic  buildings  of  Dorchester. 

At  the  opening  of  the  eighteenth  centurj^  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Canton  was  a  part  of  Dorchester,  and  was 
called  the  South  Precinct,  or  Dorchester  New  Village.    The 

1  These  facts  were  compiled  some  jears  ago  by  the  late  D.  T.  V. 
Huntoon. 


376  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1707. 

Precinct  was  allowed  by  the  town  to  raise  a  tax  to  support 
a  preacher,  on  condition  that  they  "shall  remove  their 
meeting-house,"  or  erect  one  nearer  the  centre  of  population. 
As  tills  was  in  1707,  it  appears  that  the  peoj^le  in  the  South 
Precinct  had  a  meeting-house  prior  to  tliis  time.  Where  it 
was  situated  we  are  unable  to  say ;  probably  at  the  village 
of  Ponkapoag ;  but  it  was  not  situated  where  the  subse- 
quent ones  have  been,  at  Canton  Centre.  In  June,  1707, 
the  committee  appointed  by  the  town  of  Dorchester  met  the 
inhabitants  of  the  new  village,  and  decided  to  place  the 
meeting-house  on  "  Packeen  "  Plain,  now  Canton  Centre. 
The  building  was  completed  in  1708,  and  it  is  probable  that 
the  frame  of  the  first  building  was  used  in  the  construction 
of  the  second.  This  meeting-house  was  situated  nearer 
the  westerly  side  of  the  Plain  than  its  successor,  or,  in 
other  words,  directly  back  of  it.  Some  of  the  older  resi- 
dents of  Canton,  when  they  were  children,  remember  seeing 
traces  of  its  site  ;  but  its  exact  jiosition  was  unknown  to 
the  present  generation,  until  the  autumn  of  1873,  when 
the  old  foundation  stones  were  accidentally  discovered. 
This  meeting-house  was  tliirty  feet  square,  and  supported 
by  uprights  twelve  feet  in  height.  It  remained  standing 
until  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  when  it  was  sold  to 
Ebenezer  Tolman  for  ^£62,  10s.  0(7.,  who  conveyed  it  to 
Adams  Street,  in  Dorchestei",  and  converted  it  into  a  barn. 
The  holy  influence  which  had  filled  it  as  a  church  is  said 
not  to  have  deserted  it,  but  still  hovered  around  it,  in 
the  humbler  sphere  which  it  afterwards  occupied.  It  had 
a  subduing  influence  upon  those  whose  habitation  it  be- 
came, if  we  may  judge  from  the  following  lines,  wliich 
were  wi-itten  by  an  unknown  author  shortly  after  its 
removal :  — 

"  Some  years  ago,  a  good  old  pious  man, 
Named  Tolman,  thought  it  would  be  a  good  plan 
To  buy  an  old  church  building,  then  for  sale 
In  Canton ;  which  he  did,  and  by  wholesale, 


1707.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER    HOMES.  377 

For  in  those  days  it  was  a  satisfaction 
To  be  engaged  in  such  a  large  transaction ; 
As,  buying  a  large  biiildiiiji.  people  thought 
The  buyer's  pocket  must  with  gold  be  wrought. 

"  Now  Ebenezer  Tohuan  (that  was  his  full  name) 
Owned  land  in  Dorchester,  and  wished  the  same 
To  be  improved  in  some  good,  pious  way, 
And  had  the  building  moved  without  delay, 
And  placed  upon  his  lot  of  vacant  land, 
Where  as  a  barn  it  does  to  this  day  stand. 
He  hoped  the  influence  of  the  old  church  would 
Improve  his  cattle,  if  they  only  could 
Snuff  up  the  good  old  doctrines  which  for  years 
Had  been  so  often  thrust  on  human  ears. 
It  had  the  true  effect  on  Sabbath  days 
Upon  its  inmates,  and  in  various  ways. 
For  six  days  they  upon  their  merits  stood. 
And  acted  just  as  other  cattle  would ; 
But  on  the  seventh  't  was  another  thing ; 
Then  they  did  form  a  truly  pious  ring. 
I  do  not  think  upon  that  seventh  day 
A  horse  within  that  barn  dared  even  neigh. 
As  for  the  cows,  they  knew  it  would  not  do 
To  break  the  stillness  by  a  single  '  moo.' 
The  hogs,  though  stupid,  did  more  serious  feel; 
No  grunting  came  from  them,  not  e'en  a  squeal. 
The  rooster  bowed  his  head  in  humble  show  ; 
You  could  not  get  from  him  a  single  crow. 
Hens  did  not  cackle,  nor  an  egg  would  lay 
Till  Sunday  passed ;  then  two  would  come  next  day. 
The  rats  were  quiet  in  a  noonday  nap  ; 
Cheese  would  not  tempt  them  to  go  in  a  trap. 
So  passed  the  seventh  day  from  year  to  year. 
And,  to  all  thinking  minds,  't  was  very  clear 
That  those  dumb  creatures  more  respect  did  pay 
Than  half  the  men  unto  the  Sabbath  day. 
Well  may  friend  Tolman  feel  a  pride  that  he 
Possesses  such  a  pious  family. 
From  bird  and  cattle  may  a  lesson  come 
That  might  with  profit  enter  every  home." 


378  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1707. 

THE   DOLBEAR   HOUSE. 

John  Dolbear  was  a  merchant  in  Boston,  but  resided  in 
Dorchester  after  he  mariied  Zebiah  Royall,  daughter  of 
Colonel  Lemuel  Robinson,  December  27,  1787.  They 
lived  in  the  house  north  of  Tolman  Lane  and  Washington 
Street,  known  as  the  Royall  House,  which  was  built  by 
Isaac  Royall,  Sr.,  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. This  house  is  now  standing,  with  slight  modifica- 
tions, and  in  good  state  of  preservation. 

Mr.  Dolbear  was  a  very  peculiar  and  methodical  man. 
It  was  his  custom  to  walk  into  Boston  every  week-day, 
rain  or  shine,  and  out  again  in  the  afternoon.  After  din- 
ner, which  was  usually  about  three  o'clock,  he  would 
frequently  walk  to  the  Lower  Mills  and  back.  On  one 
occasion,  when  he  reached  his  office  in  Boston,  he  found 
that  he  had  left  at  home  a  key,  of  which  he  had  immediate 
need.  "  Never  mind,"  he  said  to  his  clerk,  "  I  will  just 
step  over  to  Dorchester  and  get  it."  He  was  very  fond  of 
poultry,  and  the  large  barn  on  his  premises  was  used 
almost  entirely  for  their  accommodation.  Hunckeds  of 
pigeons  lived  and  were  bred  there ;  and  from  one  hundred 
to  two  hundred  hens  of  the  various  kinds,  from  the 
small  bantam  to  the  large  natives,  could  be  seen  about 
the  grounds.  In  the  large  sitting-room,  there  were  fre- 
quently to  be  seen  from  four  to  six  hens  setting  upon  their 
eggs  in  various  parts  of  the  room,  under  the  chairs  or  sofa. 
When  feeding  them,  the  air  would  be  full  of  pigeons,  and " 
fowls  would  flock  around  him  at  the  well-known  rap  on 
the  pan,  alighting  on  his  shoulder  without  any  signs  of 
fear. 

When  the  barn,  referred  to  above,  was  about  being 
erected,  Mr.  Dolbear  made  a  contract  with  Edward  With- 
ington,  a  carpenter  of  the  town,  to  build  it  for  him ;  and 
he  told  him  that  he  wanted  him  to  construct  a  good  one, 
better  than  he  built  for  others,  and  where  he  put  in  one 


1707.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  379 

nail  for  other  folks,  he  wanted  two.  When  IMr.  Witliington 
came  to  put  the  finishing  touches  on  the  barn,  the  south 
door  of  entrance  was  about  being  hung,  and  he  said  to  iNIr. 
Dolbear,  "  How  will  you  have  tliis  put  on  and  fastened ; 
with  a  lock,  or  with  a  button  ?  " 

Mr.  Dolbear  said,  "  Put  on  a  button." 

When  Mr.  Dolbear  came  to  see  it,  and  try  it,  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  often  did,  "  Oh,  the  d ,  d ,  d ; 

what  did  you  put  two  nails  in  tliis  button  for?  can't 
turn  it." 

"  Oh,"  says  Mr.  Withington,  "  that  is  aU  right ;  you 
told  me  to  build  better  for  you  than  for  others.  I  never 
put  but  one  nail  in  a  button  for  anybody  else ;  guess  it  is 
all  right." 

Mr.  Dolbear's  well-known  figure,  nearly  six  feet  in 
height,  wrapped  in  his  Camloteen  cloak  as  he  walked  about 
the  streets,  is  no  doubt  well  remembered  by  the  young 
people  of  that  generation  who  are  now  living.  Mrs. 
Dolbear,  his  wife,  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  having  removed 
a  few  years  before  her  death  in  1850  to  the  house  of  her 
nephew,  John  Mears,  who  lived  in  the  house  formerly 
occupied  by  the  before-mentioned  Colonel  Lemuel  Robin- 
son, who  was  an  active  figure  in  Dorchester  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolution. 

THE  BALL  HUGHES  HOUSE. 

The  Ball  Hughes  House,  situated  at  the  corner  of  School 
and  Washington  Streets,  while  somewhat  more  than  one 
hunthed  years  old,  is  chiefly  famous  for  being  the  residence 
of  the  talented  sculptor.  Ball  Hughes.  Mr.  Hughes  came 
to  this  house  in  1851,  living  here  until  his  death,  in  1868. 
His  residence  in  Dorchester,  however,  dated  still  further 
back,  as  for  twelve  or  fourteen  years  previous  to  the  time 
he  became  the  owner  of  the  School  Street  property,  he  had 
lived  on  Adams  Street,  on  the  Lower  Road,  opposite  what 
is  now  Cedar  Grove  Cemetery.     At  the  time  Mr.  Hughes 


380  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1787. 

lived  on  Adams  Street,  the  property  opposite  his  house 
(now,  as  before  mentioned,  used  for  a  cemetery)  was  a 
favorite  resort  for  him  and  liis  family  on  pleasant  days. 
One  spot  in  particular  was  especially  admired  by  Mr. 
Hughes,  and  here,  underneath  the  shade  of  the  cedar  trees, 
he  passed  hours  at  a  time.  By  a  strange  and  beautifid  coin- 
cidence, it  is  in  this  very  spot  that  the  accomj^lished  sculp- 
tor and  his  beloved  wife  now  rest. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  Ball  Hughes  House  owes  so 
much  of  its  I'eputation  to  the  ^personality  of  its  owner,  the 
life  and  deeds  of  Mr.  Hughes  will  be  of  especial  interest 
in  connection  with  it.  The  following  biographical  sketch, 
published  in  184.3,  some  fourteen  years  after  he  took  up  liis 
residence  in  this  country,  gives  us  an  excellent  idea  of  his 
early  life :  — 

'■'■  Ball  Hughes  the  Sculptor.  —  This  gentleman  was  born  in 
London  on  the  19th  of  J.anuary,  1806.  He  early  evinced  a 
taste  and  talent  for  moulding,  and  a  somewhat  -whimsical  cir- 
cumstance at  length  decided  him  in  the  choice  of  his  profession. 

"  About  the  year  1818,  his  mother  observed  that  the  ends  of 
wax  candles  constantly  disappeared  from  the  candlesticks; 
and  indeed  that  sometimes  whole  ones  were  also  missing.  At 
length,  on  making  some  inquiry,  it  was  found  that  our  young 
genius  Ball  was  the  one  who  had  thus  robbed  the  old  gilded 
candelabra  of  their  wax  ornaments. 

"The  next  thing  to  be  ascertained  was  why  he  did  it;  and, 
being  pressed  by  his  father  to  tell  the  truth  and  avoid  a  flogging, 
he  confessed  to  taking  them  to  enable  him  to  copy  in  wax  a 
picture  which  hung  in  the  garret  representing  the  "Wisdom  of 
Solomon.^ 

"  The  work  was  brought  down,  and  the  sphited  bas-relief  he 
had  made  at  once  decided  Mr.  Hughes  to  place  him  in  the  studio 
of  Edward  Hodges  Bailey, -  with  whom  he  remained  seven  years. 

1  This  bas-relief  was  afterwards  cast  in  silver,  and  is  still  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family. 

-  Bailey  was  one  of  Flaxman's  favorite  pupils,  and  in  1843  was  one  of 
the  greatest  living  sculptors. 


1787.]  EAELY   DOKCHESTER   HOMES.  381 

Here  we  find  him  successfully  competiug  for  all  the  prizes 
awarded  by  the  Royal  Academy,  and  obtaining  — 

"  1st.  — The  large  silver  medal  for  the  best  copy  in  bas-relief 
of  the  Apollo  Belvidere. 

"2d.  —  From  the  Society  of  Arts  and  Sciences  a  silver 
medal  for  the  Barbariui  Fawn. 

"3d.  — A  large  silver  medal  for  the  best  original  model  from 
the  life. 

"4th. — A  gold  medal  for  an  original  composition  of  Pan- 
dora, brought  by  JMercury  to  Epimetheus.  Also  a  series  of  lec- 
tures, by  Baron  Opie  and  Fuseli. 

"These  were  all  obtained  before  he  was  of  legal  age.  We 
find  him  next  engaged  on  busts  of  the  royal  family,  including 
the  Duke  of  Sussex,  the  Duke  of  Cambridge,  and  a  small 
statue  of  George  the  Fourth,  which  he  ordered  to  be  cast  in 
bronze. 

"  During  a  professional  residence  in  the  beautiful  mansion  of 
the  late  Earl  of  Leicester,  he  met  several  American  gentlemen, 
who  so  interested  him  in  their  descriptions  of  our  great  republic 
as  to  decide  him,  shortly  after  his  marriage  (1829),  to  visit  us. 

"  Among  a  number  of  works  which  he  has  done  among  us 
may  be  mentioned  his  beautiful  marble  statue  of  General  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  unfortunately  destroyed  with  the  Exchange  at 
the  great  Are  in  New  York ;  a  magnificent  marble  alto-relief  to 
the  memory  of  Bishop  Hobart  in  Trinity  Church ;  a  group  of 
Uncle  Toby  and  AVidow  "Wadman,  now  in  the  Athenjeum ;  the 
inimitable  statue  of  little  Oliver  Twist,  which  makes  us  more 
than  ever  in  love  with  sculpture  ;  an  admirable  equestrian  statue 
of  General  Washington,  originally  intended  for  Philadelphia, 
but,  owing  to  want  of  funds,  never  executed. 

"And  now  (1843)  he  comes  before  us  in  a  new  character. 
We  have  often  admked  his  works ;  we  have  enjoyed  many  a 
smile  at  the  credulity  of  Uncle  Toby ;  we  have  deeply  sympa- 
thized with  poor  Oliver ;  but  what  shall  we  say  of  '  The  Cruci- 
fixion,' the  last  chef  d'ceuvre,  which  has  been  completed  bj'  Mr. 
Hughes,  and  is  now  on  exhibition  in  Bromfield  street? 

"  Truly  we  may  say,  in  the  language  of  a  well-known  clergy- 
man, who  was  present  at  our  first  visit  to  this  last  production  of 


382  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1787. 

Mr.  Hughes,  '  There  is  a  godlike  dignity  and  harmony  in  the 
whole  figure,  which  speaks  to  the  heart  more  than  a  hundred 
sermons  could  do,  and  we  can  hardly  stand  and  contemplate 
without  coming  away  better  than  we  went.' 

"  We  know  not  how  to  criticise  the  figure.  Every  part  is 
excellent,  and,  as  a  whole,  it  is  perfect ;  we  hope  it  will  be 
visited  by  persons  of  piety,  —  a  proper  compliment  to  the 
artist  for  executing  this  beautiful  work  among  us." 

The  productions  of  Ball  Hughes,  the  sculptor,  were 
characteristic  of  the  individuality  of  the  artist  himself,  — 
strong,  faithful,  original.  His  work  was  distinctly  his  own, 
and  at  once  impressed  the  si^ectator  with  the  conviction 
that  it  was  a  true  portrait  of  that  wliich  it  was  intended  to 
express.  A  glance  at  the  principal  ■works  of  Mr.  Hughes 
will  be  of  interest. 

In  1840  Mr.  Hughes  competed,  with  several  others,  for 
an  equestrian  statue  of  Washington,  to  be  erected  in  Phil- 
adelphia. A  Philadelphia  paper,  under  date  of  November 
24  of  that  year,  thus  refers  to  the  model  indicated :  — 

"Among  all  the  models  exhibited  in  Philadelphia  for  the 
decision  of  the  committee  on  the  Equestrian  Statue  of  Wash- 
ington, that  of  Ball  Hughes,  Esq.,  the  distinguished  sculptor, 
seems  to  be  the  favorite.  The  sculptor  has  chosen  the  time 
when  the  hero  is  in  the  act  of  reining  up  his  horse,  and  bowing 
with  his  hat  in  his  hand  to  his  assembled  countrymen.  The 
design  is  a  happy  one.  The  attitude  of  both  horse  and  rider 
is  perfect.  The  horse,  like  another  Bucephalus,  carrying  an- 
other, a  greater  than  Alexander,  seems  proud  of  the  precious 
burthen  which  is  entrusted  to  his  charge.  The  likeness  of 
Washington  is  the  most  perfect  that  we  have  ever  beheld.  All 
who  have  seen  the  statue  agree  that  the  mild  and  dignified 
countenance  of  him  '  who  was  good  without  an  effort,  great 
without  a  foe,'  is  the  most  correct  that  any  sculptor  has  yet 
chiselled.  The  graceful  bend  of  the  body  is  also  in  just  keep- 
ing with  the  rest  of  the  figure.  In  Mr.  Hughes'  design  we  see 
everything  to  admire,  and  nothing  to  condemn.     It  will  at  once 


1787.]  EAELY   DOKCHESTEE   HOMES.  383 

be  a  proud  and  lasting  memorial  to  the  '  Father  of  his  Country," 
and  a  pride  and  ornament  to  our  city.  Although  not  so  colossal 
as  the  equestrian  statue  of  Peter  the  Great  at  St.  Petersburg, 
yet  there  is  a  greater  finish,  a  more  perfect  uniformity,  and 
boldness  of  design  in  the  statue  in  Independence  Hall." 

Another  paper  says  of  the  model :  — 

"  The  model  of  an  equestrian  statue  of  Washington,  which 
has  just  been  prepared  by  Ball  Hughes,  Esq.,  is  an  exquisite 
specimen  of  the  Fine  Arts,  and  is  creditable  alike  to  the  artist 
and  the  country.  Grace,  beauty,  and  dignity  are  combined,  and 
the  father  of  his  country  has  an  appearance  at  once  benignant 
and  patriotic.  The  horse,  too,  is  also  finely  proportioned,  and 
the  effect  of  the  entire  model  striking  and  imposing  to  an  emi- 
nent degree." 

The  opinion  of  the  press  was  echoed  by  the  public,  and 
the  committee  did  IMr.  Hughes  the  honor  of  selecting  liis 
model  from  all  those  offered  in  competition.  The  financial 
crash  which  occiuTed  in  that  year,  however,  destroyed  all 
hope  of  getting  up  the  statue  at  that  time,  and  the  project 
had  to  be  given  up,  much  to  the  sculptor's  disappointment, 
and  to  the  loss  of  the  city.  The  model,  as  prepared  for 
exhibition  at  Philadelphia,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
B.  F.  Brown,  of  Boston,  Mr.  Hughes'  son-in-law. 

The  following  description  of  Mr.  Hughes'  "  Statue  of 
Hamilton  "  is  taken  from  a  New  York  paper  published  at 
the  time  of  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  in  that  city :  — 

"The  artist.  Ball  Hughes,  Esq.,  has  produced  a  work  which 
does  him  the  greatest  possible  credit.  Hundreds  of  our  most 
respectable  citizens,  who  were  intimately  acquainted  with  Gen- 
eral Hamilton,  besides  a  great  number  of  artists,  pronounced  it 
a  most  chaste  and  perfect  piece  of  sculpture,  and  an  exact 
likeness.  Mr.  Hughes,  should  he  never  execute  another  work  of 
the  kind,  has,  in  the  judgment  of  all  who  have  seen  it,  acquii'ed 
a  fame  that  will  at  least  live  as  long  as  himself. 

"  The  statue  is  carved  from  a  block  of  Italian  marble,  which, 
when  first  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  artist,  weighed  nine  tons, 


384  GOOD   OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1787. 

but  it  has  been  reduced  to  oue  and  a  half  tons.  The  attitude  of 
the  statue  represents  the  general  about  to  speak,  in  his  usual 
position  of  dignity  and  repose.  His  right  hand  holds  a  scroll, 
understood  to  be  his  able  report  on  funding  the  national  debt,  — 
appended  to  which  is  the  seal  of  the  Treasury  Department, 
resting  on  a  beautiful  polished  pedestal,  giving  thereby  a  soft- 
ness to  the  drapery  approaching  reality.  His  left  leg  hangs 
gracefidly  by  his  side,  and  is  a  wonderful  piece  of  carving. 
The  right  leg  is  slightly  in  advance,  and  the  foot  projecting  over 
the  base,  which  gives  great  lightness  and  elegance  to  the 
figure.  The  other  leg  is  wonderfully  relieved  from  the  dra- 
pery, and  must  have  been  a  work  of  intense  labor.  The  wrin- 
kles or  creases  of  the  silk  stockings  and  the  small-clothes  have 
every  appearance  of  reality.  The  fold  of  the  rol)e  excites  a 
wonder  how  such  drapery  could  be  carved  on  such  delicate 
marble. 

' '  The  head  looks  toward  the  left  shoulder,  and  is  pronounced 
by  all  who  have  seen  it  and  knew  the  distinguished  statesman, 
to  be  a  perfect  likeness ;  the  broad,  high  forehead,  the  slightly 
contracted  brow,  the  deep-set  eyes,  and  general  firmness  of 
expression,  richly  shadowed  by  the  gracefully  carved  hair,  — 
give  to  it  a  dignity  of  character  tnily  great.  The  costume  of 
the  figure  is  chastely  conceived,  is  modern,  but  is  so  arranged 
as  to  display  the  anatomy  of  the  limbs.  A  graceful  robe  sur- 
rounds it,  which,  while  it  imparts  richness  to  the  general  eiTeet, 
tends  to  conceal  those  parts  of  dress  which  might  take  from  the' 
sublimity  of  the  work,  and  conveys  at  the  same  time  the  idea  of 
one  who  holds  both  a  civil  and  military  station. 

"  This  whole  work  is  the  production  of  a  few  of  our  most 
public-spirited  merchants,  who  subscribed  some  six  or  eight 
thousand  dollars  to  procure  a  likeness  of  this  distinguished 
statesman  for  the  benefit  of  the  public." 

The  beautiful  statue  was  unfortunately  destroyed  by  the 
flames  during  the  Great  Fire  in  New  York,  together  with 
the  Exchange  Building,  in  wliich  it  stood.  It  is  related 
that  Mr.  Hvighes,  who  was  at  that  time  in  New  York,  was 
awakened  from  his  sleep  by  the  fire-bells.  He  rose  at 
once,  and  prepared  to  go  out.     When  urged  to  remain  at 


1787.]  EABLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  385 

home,  he  replied,  "  I  feel  that  I  must  go,"  and  he  arrived 
at  the  Exchange  Building  just  in  time  to  see  his  statue 
tojjple  over  with  a  crash. 

Speaking  of  the  "  Dead  Clu'ist,"  a  critic  says :  — 

"We  are  desirous  at  present  of  expressing  a  feeling  beyond 
the  admii-ation  of  mere  aitistic  genius  or  love  of  art  —  a  feeling 
called  into  life  by  the  surpassing  excellence  of  that  powerful 
production  of  human  workmanship  —  the  sublime  delineation  of 
exalted  imagination  which  is  now  exhibited  on  the  latest 
achievement  by  Ball  Hughes,  —  the  colossal  '  Statue  of  the 
Dead  Christ.'" 

It  is,  perhaps,  the  bronze  statue  of  Dr.  Bowditch,  whicli 
Mr.  Hughes  executed  to  be  placed  ur  Mount  Aubiu-n,  that 
will  stand  as  the  most  certam  evidence  of  the  artist's  skill ; 
for  its  material  makes  it  secure  from  the  ravages  of  "  Time, 
the  great  Destroyer."  Praise  was  received  from  all  sides. 
"As  a  work  of  art,"  said  one  paper,  "it  deserves  the  high- 
est praise."  Another  said :  "  The  artist  possesses  the 
highest  order  of  genius  in  his  peculiar  art."  All  united 
in  pronouncing  it  well  worthy  of  the  noble  subject  repre- 
sented. 

"  The  Neapolitan  Fisher  Boy "  was  another  creation  of 
Mr.  Hughes.  "  In  tliis  work,"  wrote  a  critic,  "  Mr.  Hughes 
has  hewn  out  for  Iiimself  and  for  liis  country  new  honors." 

Mr.  Hughes  manifested  his  artistic  nature  in  more  ways 
than  one.  He  excelled,  among  other  things,  in  executing 
what  are  knoAvn  as  "  poker  sketches."  These  are  25ictures 
made  on  whitewood,  the  only  tools  used  being  pieces  of 
iron,  which  were  heated  to  a  white  heat.  Every  touch  of 
the  hot  iron  leaves  a  mark  which  cannot  be  effaced,  and 
the  work  is  so  trjnng  to  the  nerves  that  only  a  short  time 
each  day  can  be  devoted  to  it. 

The  effects  of  color  can  only  be  appreciated  when  seen. 
It  seems  incredible  that  such  artistic  results  could  have 
been  produced  in  tliis  way.  Among  the  works  of  this  kind, 
many  of  which  are  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Hughes'  son- 


386  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK.  [1787. 

in-law,  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Brown,  may  be  mentioned  "  The 
Trumpeter,"  "  The  Monk,"  "  Falstaff  Examining  his  Re- 
cruits," —  embracing  a  dozen  or  more  figui-es,  — "  Rem- 
brandt," "  Don  Quixote,"  "  Shakespeare,"  "  Rubens,"  and 
"  The  Scotch  Terrier." 

A  sketch  of  Ball  Hughes  would  be  incomplete  without 
making  mention  of  his  beloved  wife,  to  whose  assistance 
and  inspiration  was  due  in  no  small  degree  the  success  of 
the  artist's  creations.  Mrs.  Hughes  was  born  near  London 
in  the  early  part  of  the  century,  and  was  fortunate  in 
receiving  an  excellent  education,  inclucUng  music  and  art. 
At  the  time  of  the  Battle  of  Waterloo  her  father,  who 
held  a  position  under  the  British  Government,  lived  in 
Brussels,  eight  miles  fi-om  the  scene  of  battle.  Mrs. 
Hughes  was  fond  of  relating  that  she  remembered,  during 
the  excitement  of  those  times,  having  kegs  of  bullion 
brought  into  her  father's  cellar  for  safe  keeping,  and  of  her 
mother's  sense  of  responsibility  in  feeling  that  so  great  a 
treasure  was  intrusted  to  her  care. 

Two  days  after  the  marriage  of  the  young  girl  to  Mr. 
Hughes  they  set  sail  for  America  on  a  packet,  which 
required  ten  weeks'  time  to  make  the  passage.  Artists 
were  not  numerous  in  this  country  in  1830 ;  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hughes  were  the  recipients  of  much  attention. 
Wasliington  Irving  sat  for  his  bust,  which  proved  to  be  the 
most  satisfactory  likeness  he  had  had  taken  ;  but  he  wrote 
to  Mr.  Hughes  that  he  did  "not  think  there  ought  to  be 
a  marble  bust  for  only  a  transient  popularity."  Success 
seemed  destined  to  reward  Mr.  Hughes'  exei-tions;  but 
liis  aspirations  were  made  futile  by  the  failui'e  of  the  com- 
mittee on  the  Washington  statue  to  carry  out  their  con- 
tract. The  disapjDointment  was  bitter,  and  both  the  artist 
and  his  wife  felt  it  keenly.  This  ill-fortune  in  Pliiladelphia 
caused  them  to  come  to  Boston. 

Mrs.  Hughes  now  turned  her  artistic  abilities  to  account 
by  taking  pupils.      "No  weather  in  which  horses  could 


THE    BALL    HUGHES    HOUSE. 


%^*^ 


r'-^ 


i 


1787.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  389 

travel  from  Adams  Street,  Dorchester,  to  Boston,"  says  a 
friend,  "  however  cliilling  those  long  omnibus  rides  might 
be,  could  deter  her  from  meeting  her  scholars,  many  of 
whom  became  her  lifelong  friends.  They  learned  from  her 
more  than  the  tecluiique  of  the  pencil  and  the  brush ;  they 
learned  thorougluiess,  exactitude,  and  unity."  For  several 
years  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Hughes  resided 
in  the  School  Street  house.  For  some  ten  years  previous 
to  her  decease,  in  1892,  however,  she  lived  with  her  daugh- 
ter and  son-in-law,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B.  F.  Brown. 

We  have  thus  gained  an  insight  into  the  personalities 
of  the  husband  and  mfe  who  made  the  Ball  Hughes 
House  famous.  Here  the  genial  host  and  hostess  enter- 
tained delightful  circles  of  friends ;  here  came  Dickens 
and  Jane  Stuart  the  artist.  The  old  house  seemed  imbued 
with  the  characteristics  of  its  inmates,  and  everything  was 
in  perfect  harmony.  The  break  came  when  Mr.  Hughes 
died  in  1868.  The  house  was  later  occupied  by  Captain 
Jeremiah  Spaulding,  a  well-known  ship-master  in  the  East 
India  trade.  For  several  years  the  building  has  remained 
unoccupied,  but  it  is  now  being  thoroughly  repaii-ed  by 
its  present  owner.  Miss  Hughes,  who  has  inherited,  to  no 
small  degree,  the  artistic  talent  which  made  her  father 
famous.  Thus  the  associations  still  remain,  and  the  old 
house,  the  walls  of  which  have  witnessed  so  much  quiet 
happiness,  will  continue  its  career  of  usefulness. 


THE   WEBSTER    HOUSE. 

The  Webster  House  has  only  been  known  as  such  since 
the  famous  statesman  honored  Dorchester  with  a  brief 
residence  within  its  limits.  Previous  to  this  the  place  was 
known  as  the  Welles  estate,  being  owned  by  the  Hon. 
John  Welles.  General  Henry  Knox  occupied  the  house 
in  1784,  just  at  the  close  of  the  Revolution,  in  which  he 
had  taken  so  prominent  a  part.    Whether  he  was  the  origi- 


390  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1784. 

nal  builder  or  not  is  unknown.  After  the  death  of  Mr. 
Welles  the  property  remained  in  the  possession  of  his  heirs 
for  many  years. 

The  Webster  House  is  well  remembered  by  the  present 
generation  of  Dorchester's  residents.  Mr.  William  C. 
Codman  recalls  much  of  interest  in  regard  to  the  house 
and  its  inmates,  and  gives  us  delightful  recollections  of  it. 
He  says :  — 

"  My  earliest  remembrance  of  the  Webster  House  dates  back 
to  about  1825,  when  it  was  occupied  by  Madam  Cobb,  —  a 
kindly  and  aristocratic  old  lady.  Very  pleasantly  I  recall  the 
time  when  Mrs.  Cobb's  royal  equipage  roUed  out  of  the  avenue 
leading  to  her  house,  followed  by  two  nicely  trained  spotted 
coach-dogs,  who  seemed  to  keep  pace  with  the  revolution  of  the 
wheels  with  as  much  precision  as  Henry  Fletcher  (my  contem- 
poraries will  remember  him)  marched  at  the  head  of  the  column 
of  the  Dorchester  militia  men.  We  boys,  returning  to  our  homes 
from  the  academy  near  by,  whistled  aud  called  in  vain  to  these 
canines,  yclept  Byron  and  Celeste,  to  follow  us  instead  of  the 
carriage ;  but  they  would  not  heed  us.  Then  as  the  carriage 
passed  by,  IMadam  Cobb  would  bow  aud  smile  sweetly  on  us, 
and  we  would  most  respectfully  aud  politely  raise  our  juveuile 
caps  in  token  of  the  recognition." 

For  a  number  of  years  after  Mrs.  Cobb's  death  the  estate 
was  leased  by  variovrs  persons  for  a  summer  residence. 
Among  these  were  Mr.  Arnold  Welles,  whose  widow  after- 
wards married  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  and  Messrs. 
William  B.  Reynolds,  Samuel  C.  Gray,  William  Sprague, 
and  William  C.  Spaulding,  —  all  of  whom  were  prominent 
Boston  merchants. 

By  a  sti-ange  series  of  circumstances  the  property  "  fell 
from  its  liigh  estate  "  when  it  passed  from  the  hands  of  the 
Welles  heirs.  For  a  period  a  lager-beer  garden  flourished 
on  its  grounds,  an  unsightly  board  fence  concealing  the 
former  attractions  of  the  property,  and  serving  as  a  disa- 
greeable eye-sore  to  the  people.     Fortunately,  however,  a 


1784]  EAKLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  391 

third  turn  of  affairs  brought  the  estate  into  better  use ;  for 
the  house  was  demolished,  tlie  fence  torn  down,  and  the 
splendid  building  erected  wliich  will  go  down  in  history 
bearing  the  name  of  one  of  Dorchester's  most  honored 
citizens,  —  the  Henry  L.  Pierce  School. 

The  Hon.  Daniel  Webster  occupied  the  Welles  estate  in 
1822.  In  spite  of  the  shortness  of  his  residence  here,  he 
became  a  familiar  object  to  the  people.  Mr.  Webster  was 
a  constant  attendant  at  the  Second  Parish  chiu-ch  dm-ing 
his  sojourn  in  Dorchester,  over  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Codman 
at  that  time  officiated  as  pastor.  It  is  said  that  in  one  of 
liis  parochial  visits  Dr.  Cocbnan  expressed  to  Mr.  Webster 
his  gratification  at  seeing  him  present  at  both  services. 
"Dr.  Codman,"  said  Webster,  rising  from  his  chair,  "if 
you  see  me  at  church  in  the  morning,  you  will  be  sure  to 
see  me  there  in  the  afternoon.''''  Dr.  Codman  is  said  to 
have  quoted  this  reply  often  to  stimulate  others  of  his 
parisliioners  to  more  constant  attendance. 

It  is  related  that  on  one  occasion  a  young  Andover  stu- 
dent had  been  invited  by  Dr.  Codman  to  suj^ply  his  pulpit. 
On  the  appointed  Sunday  the  young  minister  proceeded 
smoothly  with  the  opening  prayer  and  the  Scriptui-e 
lesson ;  but  he  had  hardly  begun  to  read  the  hymn  when 
he  became  confused,  stammered,  and  finally  sat  down, 
asking  Dr.  Codman  to  finish  the  services.  Dr.  Codman, 
who  had  not  expected  to  be  called  upon  for  such  an  emer- 
gency, was  naturally  surprised  that  the  young  minister 
had  broken  down  so  completely,  but,  supposing  that  a 
sudden  illness  had  caused  the  trouble,  finished  the  service 
with  an  extemporaneous  discourse.  On  the  way  home,  in 
the  carriage,  Dr.  Codman  inquired  the  cause  of  the  imfortu- 
nate  break-dowia.  "Well,  sir,"  replied  the  young  man, 
"  it  was  merely  an  unaccountable  nervoasness.  Just  as  I 
was  reading  the  second  stanza  of  the  hymn  a  gentleman 
came  into  the  chiu'ch,  and  sat  down  in  a  broad-aisle  pew 
directly  before  me,  fixing  such  great,  staring  black   eyes 


392  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1781. 

upon  nie  that  I  was  fiighteued  out  of  my  wits."  This 
was  the  student's  fiist  intimation  that  Daniel  Webster  was 
a  member  of  the  congregation. 

Mr.  Webster's  absolute  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  value 
of  money  is  well  illustrated  by  his  system  of  benevolence  at 
Dorchester.  He  always  contributed  when  the  contribution- 
box  was  j)assed,  sometimes  a  shilling,  sometimes  a  ten- 
dollar  bill,  —  whatever  he  happened  to  have  in  his  pocket. 
Mr.  William  C.  Codman  has  in  his  possession  an  autograph 
letter  from  Webster,  then  in  Wasliington,  to  his  father,  in 
which  he  says,  "  If  any  cases  of  peculiar  character  arise  in 
our  neighborhood  during  the  winter,  calling  for  charitable 
aid,  I  wish  you  to  contribute  something  on  my  account  as 
often  as  you  see  the  necessity." 

As  Webster's  financial  weakness  was  well  kno'wn  to 
Dr.  Codman,  it  is  not  to  be  sujjposed  that  the  poor  of  the 
parish  were  noticeably  benefited  by  this  generous  and 
modest  proposal.  "  The  letter,"  says  Mr.  Codman,  "  was 
folded  in  the  old-fashioned  way,  with  a  liberal  amount  of 
sealing-wax  on  the  back,  and  the  impression  of  the  seal 
was  the  motto,  '  Sans  change.''  This  strikes  us  as  doubly 
ludicrous,  in  connection  with  the  request  in  the  letter,  if 
we  translate  the  motto,  '  Without  change,' —  a  dilemma  in 
which  the  great  statesman  often  found  himself !  " 

THE   WITHINGTON   HOUSE. 

Nearly  opposite  the  Webster  House,  or  the  Welles  man- 
sion, was  the  house  of  Major  Withington,  whose  father 
carried  on  the  business  of  a  tanner.  The  old  pits  of  the 
tannery  were  located  north  of  the  house,  near  the  West 
End  stables,  and  were  not  destroyed  until  the  stable  build- 
ings were  erected.  Mrs.  Major  Withington  is  still  remem- 
bered by  the  jDresent  generation.     A  writer  says  of  her : 

"  She  seemed  always  to  be  sitting  at  the  northerly  window  in 
the  parlor  of  her  house.     We  used  to  think  she  was  glued  down 


1784.]  EABLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  393 

to  that  antiquated  arm-chaii'.  A  fine-looking  old  lady  was  '  the 
Duchess  '  too,  as  seen  from  the  street,  — the  house  being  set  back 
about  fifteen  feet,  —  so  we  could  not  see  the  old  wrinkles,  or 
note  the  expression ;  but  we  could  see  and  admu-e  the  snow- 
white  turban  which  surmounted  her  aucient  caput,  and  that  tur- 
ban is  more  distinctly  remembered  by  six  of  us  academy  boys 
now  living  than  any  part  of  the  costume  of  the  late  regretted, 
and  now  tmbanless,  '  Duchess.'  Not  a  vestige  of  the  gallant 
major's  house  remains;  and  that  tui'ban,  —  you  may  seek  in 
vain  to  find  a  shred  of  it  on  earth,  but  whether  Mrs.  Withington 
has  carried  it  with  her  to  heaven  or  not  is  beyond  my  ken." 

The  house  vi^as  torn  down  in  1870. 

THE   CinvrMINS   HOUSE. 

The  house,  which  was  occupied  by  Judge  Cummins,  on 
Bowdoin  Street  is  chiefly  known  as  the  residence  of  Maria 
Cummins,  the  author  of  the  famous  novel,  "  The  Lamp- 
hghter."  "Folklore,"  in  the  "Dorchester  Beacon,"  gives 
an  interestmg  sketch  of  the  present  condition  of  the 
estate :  — 

' '  To  show  the  sad  havoc  wrought  by  time  one  only  needs  to 
visit  this  once  beautiful  place,  now  a  deserted  and  tangled  ruin. 
Truly  is  it  tempus  edax  rerum,  and  particularly  has  it  swept  this 
place  with  no  sparing  hand.  Its  pretty  colonial-styled  house, 
its  pretty  walks,  its  smTOunding  shrubbery  and  beds  of  flowers, 
its  pine-environed  fish-pond,  its  beautiful  and  stately  orchard,  — 
where  are  they?  —  Gone! — A  melancholy  pictm'e,  in  which 
pity  commingles  with  sadness.  Everything  now  is  a  ruin.  The 
house  not  only  is  burnt  down,  but  its  very  foundation  obliter- 
ated,—  the  pond  is  filled  up  with  debris;  the  orchard  lingers 
on  dissolution  ;  the  garden  has  disappeared  with  the  exception 
of  a  few  straggling  hedges.  Standing  on  the  road,  beside  the 
estate,  are  four  beautiful,  gigantic  poplar  trees,  which,  like  sen- 
tinels guarding  this  sombre  place,  seem  alone  of  all  to  have 
defied  the  ravages  of  Time." 


394  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1796. 

THE   SWAN   HOUSE.l 

On  the  13th  of  March,  1772,  there  appeared  in  the  old 
"  Boston  Gazette  "  (the  present  "  Boston  Courier  ")  the 
following  proposal  for  printing,  — 

"A  dissuasive  to  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies  from  the 
slave  trade  to  Africa,  by  James  Swan,  a  friend  to  the  welfare 
of  the  continent.  To  be  published  by  subscription,  one  pista- 
reen  each  book." 

This  is  our  first  public  knowledge  of  Mr.  James  Swan, 
the  owner  of  the  famous  Swan  House,  whose  career  was  a 
chequered  one.  He  was  born  in  Fifeshire,  Scotland,  and 
came  to  Boston  at  an  early  age.  Here  he  found  employ- 
ment as  a  clerk,  and  soon  became  well  known  to  his  asso- 
ciates as  a  strong  advocate  for  human  freedom.  He  was 
but  eighteen  years  of  age  when  the  above-mentioned  pro- 
posal was  published. 

Swan  took  an  active  part  in  the  stirring  affairs  of  the 
early  part  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  one  of  the  famous 
Tea  Party,  in  December,  1773.  He  volunteered  to  accom- 
pany Warren  to  Bunker  Hill  as  aid,  and  received  a  wound 
in  the  side.  Early  in  1776  he  was  captain  of  a  company 
of  artillery  in  the  expedition  which  cb'ove  the  British  fleet 
out  of  Boston  Harbor.  In  1777  Swan  was  secretary  to  the 
board  of  war  of  Massachusetts,  and  later  became  adjutant- 
general  of  the  State. 

Ten  years  later,  oppressed  with  heavy  debts.  Swan  went 

to  Paris  with  letters  of  introduction  to  Lafayette  and  other 

prominent  men.     His  energy  and  abilities  soon  made  him 

popular,  and  he  gained  a  great  reputation  as  well  as  a 

substantial  fortune.     By  1794  he  had  paid  off  all  his  debts, 

including  those  even  from  which  he  had  previously  been 

discharged.     Later  he  paid  a  visit  to  the   United  States, 

returning  to  Europe  in  1798  to  engage  in  vast  commercial 

transactions. 

1  See  illustration  on  page  175. 


1796.]  EARLY   DOKCHESTER   HOMES.  395 

In  1808  a  German,  with  whom  Swan  had  had  large  deal- 
ings, caused  liim  to  he  imprisoned  at  St.  Pelagie,  because  of 
his  refusal  to  pay  a  claim  against  him.  Here  he  remained 
for  twenty-two  years,  while  the  case  was  being  tried  before 
the  French  courts.  He  might  have  been  released  at  any 
time,  as  his  fortune  was  ample  enough  to  meet  the  Ger- 
man's demand  many  times ;  but  he  considered  the  claim 
unjust,  and  preferred  to  suffer  imprisonment  rather  than 
yield  his  principle.     He  cUed  soon  after  being  released. 

Swan's  confinement  at  St.  Pelagie  has  been  thus 
described :  — 

"  Vainly  did  Lafayette,  who  often  visited  him,  or  his  rich 
friends,  seek  to  prevail  upon  him  to  escape  from  this  reti'eat. 
His  lodging  was  a  little  cell,  modestly  fm-nished,  upon  the 
second  floor.  He  was  a  fine-looking  old  gentleman,  said  to 
resemble  in  his  countenance  Benjamin  Franklin.  The  prisoners 
treated  him  with  great  respect,  yielding  him  as  much  space 
as  possible  for  air  and  exercise,  cleaning  a  path  for  him, 
and  even  putting  aside  then-  little  furnaces  upon  which  they 
cooked  their  meals,  at  his  approach,  for  fear  that  the  smell  of 
charcoal  should  be  unpleasant  to  him.  He  had  won  theh  love 
by  his  considerate  and  uniform  benevolence.  Not  a  day  passed 
without  some  kind  act  on  his  part,  often  mysterious  and  un- 
known in  its  source  to  the  recipient.  Frequently  a  poor  debtor 
knocked  at  his  door  for  bread,  and  in  addition  obtained  his 
liberty. 

"One  creditor  only  retained  the  venerable  captive,  hoping 
each  year  to  see  his  resolution  give  way,  and  each  year  calling 
upon  him  with  a  proposal  for  an  accommodation.  The  dhector 
of  the  prison,  the  friends  of  the  colonel,  and  even  the  jailers, 
urged  him  to  accept  the  proposed  terms,  and  be  restored  to  his 
country  and  family.  Politely  saluting  his  creditor,  he  would 
turn  toward  the  jailer  and  simply  say,  '  My  friend,  return  me  to 
my  chamber.'  Toward  the  end  of  the  year  1829  his  physician 
had  obtained  for  him  the  privilege  of  a  daily  promenade  in  one 
of  the  galleries  of  the  prison,  where  he  could  breathe  a  pm-er 
atmosphere  than  that  to  which  he  had  long  been  subjected.    At 


396  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1796. 

first  he  was  grateful  for  the  favor,  but  soon  said  to  the  doctor, 
'  The  iuspiriting  air  of  liberty  will  kill  my  body,  so  long  accus- 
tomed to  the  heavy  atmosphere  of  the  prisou.'  The  Revolution 
of  July,  1830,  threw  open  his  prisou  doors  in  the  very  last  hour 
of  the  twenty-second  year  of  captivity.  After  the  triumph  of 
the  people,  he  desu-ed  to  embrace  once  more  his  old  friend 
Lafayette.  He  had  that  satisfaction  upon  the  steps  of  the 
Hotel  de  Ville.     The  next  morning  he  was  dead." 

The  Swan  Mansion  in  Dorchester  was  situated  on  Dudley 
Street,  and  was  built  about  1796.  Its  site  was  imposing, 
being  upon  a  ledge  of  rocks.  The  estate  formerly  be- 
longed to  the  son  of  Colonel  Hatch,  whose  son  Nathaniel 
was  a  Tory,  and  had  liis  estate  confiscated  by  the  State. 
In  1780  Colonel  Swan  bought  the  property  for  ,£18,000. 
Later  Colonel  Swan  offered  the  estate  to  Governor  Hancock 
for  ^645,000,  an  advance  which  was  not  altogether  satisfac- 
tory to  the  governor.  Swan  wrote  to  Hancock,  "  I  have 
built  an  elegant  and  very  expensive  house  upon  it,  includ- 
ing in  one  a  road-house,  two  stables,  and  a  liay-loft,  with  a 
servant's  chamber  and  a  pigeon-house.  The  mansion-house 
can  be  refitted  in  as  elegant  a  manner  as  it  once  was  for 
about  £4000." 

Colonel  Swan  entertained  lavishly  during  his  brief  resi- 
dence here.  Among  the  many  distinguished  persons  who 
accepted  his  hospitality  were  the  Marquis  de  Viomenil, 
second  in  command  of  Rochambeau's  army.  Admiral 
d'Estaing,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  and  General  Henry 
Knox. 

It  is  said  that  one  room  in  the  house  was  known  as  the 
"  Marie-Antoinette  room."  The  story  goes  that  Madam 
Swan,  during  her  residence  in  Paris,  purchased  from  tlie 
sacked  palaces  the  di-aperies  from  the  Tuileries  and  fur- 
niture which  had  belonged  to  the  deposed  nobility  of 
the  French  capital.  .  It  is  also  rumored  that  the  won- 
derful gobelin  hangings  that  adorned  this  room,  and  the 
quaint  old  plate,  had  a  very  different  history,  to  the  effect 


1796.]  EAKLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  397 

that  Colonel  Swan  had  been  concerned  in  a  plot  to  rescue 
Marie-Antoinette,  and  to  bring  her  to  America,  where  she 
might  be  liarbored  until  the  troubled  days  had  passed  away 
from  France.  For  tliis  purpose  a  ship  had  been  laden  with 
silver,  f urnitiu-e,  and  clothing,  —  everything  that,  to  their 
ideas,  would  be  needed  in  America.  How  the  plot  failed  is 
not  explained;  but  it  is  said  that  the  furniture  and  dra- 
peries, and  the  clothes  which  were  to  have  been  the  queen's, 
have  furnished  this  house.  The  theory  generally  accepted 
is  that  much  of  the  elegant  furniture,  rich  family  plate, 
and  magnificent  paintings  once  adorned  palatial  French 
residences,  having  been  stored  in  Colonel  Swan's  ships  for 
safety  during  the  Reign  of  Terror.  It  was  a  common  bon- 
mot  at  the  time  that  "between  Madame  Guillotine,  who 
took  off  their  heads,  and  Swan,  who  took  off  their  trunks, 
little  was  left  of  those  unfortunate  Frenchmen." 

It  was  here,  in  1825,  while  Colonel  Swan  was  living  in 
the  debtors'  prison  in  Paris,  that  Madam  Swan  entertained 
Lafayette.  She  received  the  famous  Frenchman  standing  on 
the  steps  at  the  end  of  the  piazza  at  the  main  entrance  of 
the  house,  wliicli  she  rarely  allowed  to  be  used.  Lafayette, 
attended  by  his  staff,  was  then  on  his  wa}'  to  Quincy  to 
dine  with  Adams.  Historical  records  of  this  event  de- 
scribe her  as  being  dressed  in  a  black  silk  gown  and  wearing 
a  turban  of  black  lace,  the  dress,  even  to  the  huge  ruff, 
being  Elizabethan  in  style.  Madam  Swan  is  reputed,  in 
spite  of  her  strange  eccentricities,  to  have  been  very  beau- 
tiful. Stuart  23ainted  her  ;  and  the  portrait,  still  owned  by 
one  of  her  grandchilcb-en,  was  exhibited  in  a  loan  collection 
at  the  Art  Museum  within  a  few  years. 

There  is  said  to  have  been  but  one  other  house  like  this 
built  in  this  country,  and  that  w^as  at  Thomaston,  Maine, 
by  General  Knox,  who  was  Colonel  Swan's  intimate  friend, 
and  whose  daughter  Lucy  married  James  Swan,  the 
colonel's  only  son.  Another  close  friend  of  the  family 
was  General  Jackson,  who  was  the  trustee  of  the  Swan 


398  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1796. 

estate.  General  Jackson  was  buried  in  the  grounds  of  the 
Swan  estate,  and  liis  grave  was  for  many  years  jjointed  out 
to  visitors  in  that  vicinity.  A  lane  of  lilac  bushes  led 
from  the  house  to  the  tomb,  wliich  Madam  Swan  visited 
regularly  as  long  as  she  lived.  This  grave  was  removed 
when  Woodward  Park  was  laid  out  across  the  estate. 
There  are  weird  stories  told  of  sfiirits  which  haunted  the 
lilac  path  as  long  as  the  bushes  remained. 

In  1857  the  furniture  of  the  salon  of  the  Swan  House 
is  said  to  have  been  sold  at  auction ;  and  it  was  reported 
that  the  beds  were  loaded  down  with  rich  court  gowns, 
said  to  have  been  the  property  of  the  ill-fated  Marie-Antoi- 
nette.    The  building  was  taken  down  a  few  years  ago. 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Augustus  Barrett  occupied  the  house 
from  1853  to  1855.  Mrs.  William  H.  Cilley,  one  of  the 
latest  occupants,  gives  the  following  excellent  description. 
She  says :  — 

"  The  especial  featxn-e  of  the  house  ■was  the  circular  parlor, 
thu-ty-two  feet  iu  diameter,  surmounted  by  a  dome  at  the  height 
of  twenty-five  feet,  and  having  three  mirror-windows.  It  was 
a  glorious  room  to  sing  iu,  on  account  of  its  acoustics.  The 
house  was  spoken  of  in  the  neighborhood  as  the  Round  House, 
and  some  one  once  suggested  that  Captain  Swan  must  have  had 
a  steamboat  iu  miud  when  it  was  fashioned.  I  have  always 
heard,  however,  that  it  was  copied  from  a  French  chateau. 
There  were  two  large,  old-fashioned  chimneys  in  the  house. 
The  mantel  iu  the  round  room  was  of  statuary  marble,  beauti- 
fully carved  with  griffins,  having  been  brought  from  France. 

"The  muTor-windows !  There  were  only  two,  the  glass  as 
thin  as  an  egg-shell.  The  three  outside  windows  opened  almost 
to  the  floor,  having  the  old-style  inside  blinds,  or  rather  shutters, 
as  indeed  had  all  the  rooms.  Lafayette  is  said  to  have  entered 
the  house  through  one  of  these  windows,  and  we  often  specu- 
lated as  to  which  one.  He  is  also  said  to  have  sat  in  the  same 
chair  in  which  he  might  have  reclined,  perchance,  in  Paris,  and 
to  have  eaten  perhaps  from  the  same  china  that  had  served  him 
at  home ! 


1796.]  EAKLY   DORCHESTER    HOMES.  399 

"  Another  remarkable  room  was  the  one  opposite  to  the 
round  room,  which  must  have  been  the  dining-room,  as  the 
china-closet  adjoined  it.  This  was  also  of  a  great  height,  hav- 
iu"'  no  rooms  over  it,  and  I  was  obliged  to  get  a  very  long 
carpenter's  ladder  to  arrange  the  draperies  at  the  windows,  the 
sashes  being  in  three  tiers,  and  flooding  the  room  with  light  and 
sunshine. 

"  The  other  rooms  were  ordinary  ones  in  size  and  comfort; 
but  the  upper  chambers  and  the  hall  had  very  low  ceilings,  — 
scarcely  seven  feet,  —  but  were  large  in  breadth,  and  the  outlook 
was  on  such  lovely  old  trees,  and  there  were  such  glorious 
sunsets !  " 

THE   MORTON   PAVILION. 

The  name  of  Hon.  Perez  Morton,  besides  being  con- 
nected with  the  Taylor  mansion,  is  also  associated  with 
another  of  Dorchester's  well-known  houses,  —  the  Pavilion, 
on  Pleasant  Street.  It  was  to  this  house  that  Mr.  Morton 
removed  his  residence  from  Dudley  Street.  This  occurred 
in  1808 ;  but,  five  years  before,  on  September  27,  1803,  he 
had  mortgaged  to  his  brother,  Joseph  Morton,  for  the  sum 
of  $14,400,  his  whole  Dudley  Street  estate,  comprising,  as 
the  deed  says,  "  all  that  my  estate  in  Dorchester  on  wliich 
my  dwelling-house  now  stands,  together  with  all  the  land 
appurtenant  and  belonging  thereto,  wliich  I  purchased  of 
Lemuel  Bird  and  Ezekiel  Bird,  containing  by  estimation 
five  acres  more  or  less,  with  all  the  buildings  thereon 
standing."  This  mortgage,  apparently,  was  never  can- 
celled. Here  terminated  Mr.  Morton's  connection  with  the 
Dudley  Street  estate  ;  for  by  deed  bearing  date  of  July  7, 
1808,  Joseph  Morton  "  conveys  to  Cornelius  Coolidge  of 
Boston,  in  consideration  of  115,000  to  be  paid  by  said 
Coolidge,  all  that  estate  in  Dorchester  on  which  the  dwell- 
ing house  now  stands  late  in  the  improvement  of  Perez 
Morton,  Esq.,  with  all  the  appurtenances  thereto  belonging, 
and  buildings  thereon  standing,  said  premises,  however, 
subject  to  the  Equity  of  Redemption  of  said  Perez  Morton 


400  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1803. 

as  by  law  is  in  such  cases  made  and.  provided."  It  has  been 
handed  down  as  a  tradition  in  the  family  that  Mr.  Morton 
built  the  Pavilion  before  announcing  to  his  wife  his  inten- 
tion of  relinquishing  the  DutUey  Street  estate. 

We  may  get  an  excellent  idea  of  the  appearance  of  the 
house  from  the  words  of  two  of  Dorchester's  citizens, 
whose  memory  recalls  the  Pavilion  and  its  owner.  In  the 
New-England  Historical  and  Genealogical  Register  for 
January,  1892,  Mr.  David  Clapp  writes  on  this  subject  as 
follows :  — 

"The  house,  according  to  my  imperfect  recollection  of  the 
details  of  a  familiar  object  seen  daily  from  infancy,  comprised 
an  extensive  square  lower  or  ground  story,  with  a  broad  piazza 
in  front.  A  second  story,  still  smaller  in  floor  surface,  rested 
symmetrically  on  the  centre  of  the  first,  with  both  stories  low- 
studded.  It  was  a  common  report  in  my  boyhood  that  another 
story  still  smaller  in  extent  once  crowned  this  second  story,  and 
that  the  peculiar  shape  of  the  structure  was  copied  from  build- 
ings in  countries  wliere  hurricanes  are  frequent.  The  building, 
as  now  remembered,  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  painted 
of  a  dark  grayish  color." 

Mr.  William  B.  Trask,  who  for  many  years  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  history  of  Good  Old  Dor- 
chester, also  recalls  the  appearance  of  the  Pavilion.  He 
says : — 

"  The  outward  appearance  of  the  Pavilion,  as  I  remember  it, 
was  strangely  unique,  attracting  attention  to  the  passers-by  in 
its  novelty  and  quaintness.  The  interior  I  never  saw,  nor  do  I 
know  of  any  person  living  who  could  give  a  description  of  it. 
The  military  companies  used  to  parade  on  the  grounds  in  the 
enclosure  near  where  this  building  stood.  I  distinctly  recollect, 
on  one  occasion  at  least,  of  seeing  a  company  there,  the  Dor- 
chester Artillery  it  may  have  been.  It  was  then  called  Allen's 
Plain,  after  William  Allen,  whose  dwelling-house  was  burned 
on  this  spot  in  1784."  ' 

1  Dorchester  Beacon,  March  25,  1893. 


1803.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  401 

The  charming  circle  of  acquaintances  and  friends  which 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morton  had  drawn  around  them  at  the  old 
Taylor  mansion  followed  them  to  their  new  home  ;  and 
within  tlie  parlors  of  this  quaint  but  attractive  Pavilion 
there  was  often  gathered  a  brilliant  assemblage  of  men  and 
women  famous  from  their  jjositions  in  State  and  society. 

In  this  house  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morton  passed  their  declin- 
ing years.  "  I  well  remember  it  and  its  inmates,"  again 
writes  Mr.  Clapp,  "  from  my  earliest  years,  and  can  now 
cUstinctly  recall  the  aged  Morton  couple,  seated  on  their 
broad  piazza,  and  enjoying  the  southwesterly  summer 
breezes  as  they  swept  across  the  open  plain." 

Mr.  Morton  died  at  the  Pavilion,  October  14,  1837 ;  and 
a  few  years  later  Mrs.  Morton  removed  to  Quincy,  still 
retaining  the  Pavilion  in  her  possession.  She  died  May 
14,  1846,  and  not  many  years  later  the  house  was  taken 
down. 

The  site  of  the  Pavilion  was  very  near  that  on  which 
stood  the  primitive  thatched-roof  meeting-house  of  the  first 
Dorchester  settlers,  and  was  on  the  first  street  laid  ovit  by 
them,  known  for  so  many  years  as  Green  Lane. 

THE  WALTER  BAKER  MANSION. 

The  Walter  Baker  Mansion,  located  on  Washington 
Street,  at  the  corner  of  Park  Street,  was  probably  buQt 
about  the  middle  of  the  last  century ;  but  it  is  not  known 
who  was  the  original  builder.  Lieutenant-Governor  Oliver 
was  the  first  occupant  of  whom  we  have  record,  and  he 
left  the  house  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Revolution. 

Colonel  Benjamin  Hichborn  bought  the  house  about 
1781,  and  occupied  it  as  a  summer  residence  until  his 
death  in  1817.  Colonel  Hichborn  bequeathed  the  estate 
to  liis  brother,  Samuel  Hichborn ;  and  at  this  time  it  was 
known  as  "  Hichborn  Corner."  Among  his  friends  were 
General  Lafayette  and  Presidents  Jefferson  and  Monroe, 


402  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1750. 

who  visited  liim  when  they  came  to  Boston.  He  enter- 
tained General  Lafayette  when  he  was  in  Boston  m  1783. 
President  Monroe  came  to  see  him  in  his  last  sickness ; 
and  it  is  said  that  they  embraced  and  kissed  each  other,  as 
was  the  fashion  at  the  time. 

Mr.  James  Penniman  occupied  the  house  in  1830.  He 
was  a  well-known  merchant,  and  was  closely  identified  with 
the  interests  of  the  town.  He  was  especially  interested  in 
the  establishment  of  the  Dorchester  Academj',  and  did 
much  to  encourage  it.  For  the  fii'st  six  or  eight  montlis 
he  devoted  a  large  room  in  liis  residence  —  the  Penniman 
House,  as  it  was  then  called  —  to  be  used  as  a  school-room 
for  the  academy.  In  this  room,  located  on  the  southern 
corner  of  the  first  floor,  began  this  institution,  which 
played  so  important  a  part  in  the  educational  life  of 
Dorchester  during  the  period  of  its  existence. 

Mr.  William  C.  Codman,  a  graduate  of  the  old  Dorches- 
ter Academy,  has  lecalled,  in  an  article  published  in  the 
"  Dorchester  Beacon,"  delightful  reminiscences  of  his 
school-days  thei-e.  He  was  one  of  the  fii-st  pupils,  and 
witnessed  the  change  from  the  Penniman  House  to  the 
academy  building.     He  says :  — 

"The  inauguration  ceremonies  were  imposing,  and  the  acad- 
emy was  opened  under  the  most  favorable  cu'cumstances.  Evi- 
dently, in  the  minds  of  the  trustees,  at  least  one  out  of  every 
ten  of  the  boys  was  at  some  time  or  other  to  become  one  of  the 
presidents  of  the  United  States.  I  regret  to  say  that  after  a 
careful  examination  from  Andrew  Jackson  down  to  the  present 
incumbent,  I  fail  to  find  the  name  of  a  single  graduate  of 
Dorchester  Academy. 

"The  new  principal  instituted  a  novel  mode  of  punishment. 
Any  refractory  boy,  instead  of  being  feruled,  was  thereafter 
to  be  sent  up  stahs  and  placed  between  two  girls  for  an  hour. 
It  was  supposed  the  mortification  would  be  so  great  that  ferule, 
cow-hide,  and  switch  would  be  abandoned,  and  the  naughty 
youngsters  would  repent  of  then*  evil  ways  and  sin  no  more. 


1756.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER   HOMES.  403 

The  principal  could  not  tiave  sliot  wider  from  the  mark.  The 
cases  of  misdemeanor  were  more  frequent  than  ever.  A  ter- 
ribly refractory  spirit  took  possession  of  the  boys,  and  the 
prospect  of  being  sandwiched  between  two  girls  was  something 
ecstatic  !  Anticipating  the  punishment  (  ?)  the  boys  would  carry 
to  school  with  them  candy,  peppermints,  acidulated  drops,  and 
cookies  (I  wonder  if  any  reader  remembers  the  cookies  Kelt 
the  baker  used  to  bring  out  in  his  cart  from  the  city,  represent- 
ing in  bas-relief  a  boy  and  a  girl  kissing  each  other?  —  I  do)  ; 
and  when  ordered  upstairs,  one  of  the  little  lassies  would  raise 
the  lid  of  her  desk,  apparently  to  look  for  a  book,  and  the 
culprit  lad  would  noiselessly  drop  into  the  desk  such  a  collection 
of  bonbons  and  goodies  as  would  delight  any  juvenile  feminine 
heart.  We  had  to  run  our  luck  for  our  seats,  but  as  all  the 
girls  were  jolly,  agreeable,  and  in  our  eyes  pretty,  we  were  sui'e 
of  a  satisfactory  flirtation. 

"  Such  a  delightful  state  of  things  could  not  natiu'ally  last 
long,  and  the  preceptor,  realizing  his  mistake,  placed  as  many 
impediments  in  our  way  as  possible.  The  half-hour  recess, 
which  was  then  the  same  for  boys  and  girls,  was  changed,  so 
that  we  should  not  meet.  And  then  from  the  master's  desk  on 
the  dais  above  the  schoolroom  floor,  to  our  consternation  was 
issued  this  edict,  to  be  followed  with  the  Chinese  emperor's 
addendum,  —  '  Of  this  fail  not ' :  — 

■' '  All  bovs  attending  the  academy  are  hereafter  forbidden  to  speak 
to  any  of  the  young  ladies  of  the  upper  department,  either  in  going  to  - 
or  from  school.' 

"  The  lignum-'sitse  ferule,  the  raw-hide,  and  the  green  switch 
were  again  brought  into  requisition  ;  but  still  our  tender  hearts 
yearned  for  the  companionship  of  the  j'oimg  ladies  on  the  floor 
above.  Necessity  —  '  the  mother  of  Invention  '  —  came  to  our 
aid.  A  few  choice  spirits  of  both  sexes,  after  school  hours, 
planned  an  alphabet  composed  of  the  most  extraordinary  hiero- 
glyphics, as  I  remember  it,  less  easily  understood  than  the  runes 
of  the  Scandinavians.  A  glossary  accompanied  it,  for  other- 
wise it  was  inexplicable,  and  these  were  clandestinely  circulated 
amongst  all  who  were  interested  in  the  wicked  plot. 

"  Miss ,  who  for  the  last  thirty  years  has  been  living  in 


404  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1750. 

Europe,  was  appointed  postmistress  for  the  upper  floor,  and 
Master ,  now  a  clergyman  in  western  Massachusetts,  post- 
master for  the  lower  department.  The  mail  was  enclosed  in  a 
delicately  woven  cigar-case,  made  from  manilla-grass,  and 
dui'ing  recess  was  lowered  by  a  cord  to  the  postmaster,  whose 
desk  was  next  to  the  window  below. 

"  I  wish  I  could  now  translate  the  love  effusions  of  that  daily 
mail.  Let  me  give  one  or  two  of  the  closing  sentences  from  the 
letters  to  my  address  :  — 

"  '  Thou,  thou  reignst  in  this  bosom, 
There,  there  hast  thou  thy  throne.' 

'"As  long  as  I  live  (and  possibly  hereafter),  yours  with  sincerest 
affection.' 

"Engrossed  with  such  tender  sentiments,  how  could  we  be 
expected  to  pursue  our  studies  aud  qualify  ourselves  for  the 
office  of  president  of  the  United  States  ?     Utterly  impossible ! 

"  All  things  in  this  world  must  come  to  au  end,  aud  the  mail 
bag  was  no  exception.  The  mischievous  postmistress  substi- 
tuted a  red-hot  poker  for  the  cigar  case.  The  studious  post- 
master below,  with  his  hand  out  of  the  window  ready  to  receive 
the  expected  mail,  and  audibly  assuring  us  that  four  and  foui' 
made  eight,  and  two  from  six  left  four,  etc.,  suddenly  pulled  in 
his  aching  hand  and  uttered  a  screech,  —  a  screech  which 
echoed  and  re-echoed  through  the  academy  hall. 

"  As  the  eagle  pounces  dowu  upon  his  prey  from  a  distance, 
so  did  the  principal  upon  the  poor,  .suffering,  juvenile  post- 
master. The  mail-bag  was  secured  bj'  the  teacher,  but  though 
a  decidedly  scholarly  man,  and  familiar  with  Greek,  he  could 
only  decipher  one  letter  by  its  triangular  form,  representing  the 
letter  'D.'  The  rest  was  as  obscui-e  as  Hindoostanee  or 
Chinese." 

After  this  digression  let  us  return  to  the  brief  history 
which  remains  of  the  Walter  Baker  Mansion.  Mr.  Penni- 
man,  we  have  seen,  owned  the  house  at  the  time  the  Dor- 
chester Academy  was  formed  in  1831.  From  his  liands  the 
property  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Baker  family. 


1770.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER    HOMES.  405 

Its  later  history  has  not  been  eventful,  Mrs.  Walter  Baker 
living  there  quietly  until  her  death,  in  1891.  The  house 
is  now  occupied  by  the  Bicliloride  of  Gold  Institute. 

THE   EVERETT   HOXJSE.l 

The  Everett  House  was  built  about  1770.  The  Rev. 
Oliver  Everett,  pastor  of  the  New  South  Church  in  Boston 
in  1782,  gave  up  liis  pastorate,  and  moved  to  Dorchester, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  this  house.  Who  his  predeces- 
sors were  is  uncertain.  It  is  said  that  the  house  was 
originally  built  by  Robert  Oliver,  a  West  India  merchant. 

Mr.  William  B.  Trask  relates  an  anecdote  in  regard  to 
Colonel  Oliver  which  runs  as  follows :  ^  — 

"Colonel  Oliver  owned  a  plantation,  or  was  engaged  in 
trade  with  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  West  India  Islands, 
and  brought  from  thence  a  number  of  African  slaves.  It  was 
thought  that  the  health  of  these  slaves  would  be  in  a  better 
condition  when  offered  for  sale,  if  some  employment  were 
given  them.  As  they  had  been  accustomed  to  carrying  bindens 
on  then-  heads,  wooden  trays  were  procured  for  them.  These 
were  filled  with  earth  from  an  eminence,  and  deposited  in  a 
hollow  of  the  land  near  by.  Aftei-wards,  at  the  suggestion  of 
some  of  his  Boston  friends  who  called  to  see  him,  the  colonel 
substituted  small  wheelbarrows  for  trays.  To  the  amusement 
of  the  passers-by,  the  laborers  were  seen  at  first  with  the 
barrows  on  their  heads.  Not  understanding  the  rotary  power 
to  be  applied  to  those  vehicles,  they  ludicrously  made  them- 
selves the  carriages." 

It  was  in  this  house  that  Edward  Everett  was  born,  in 
1794.  The  East  Chester  Park  extension  passes  directly 
by  the  house,  and  cuts  off  one  corner  of  the  estate.  The 
house  is  still  standing,  and  is  in  the  possession  of  Dr. 
William  S.  Stevens. 

'  See  illustration  on  page  185. 

=  New  Eng.  Hist.  Geng.  Reg.  1852,  pp.  237,  238. 


406  GOOD  OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1750. 


THE    TAYLOR    HOUSE. 

One  of  the  most  pathetic  of  the  recent  demolitions  is 
that  of  the  magnificent  estate  which  for  many  years  has 
been  known  as  the  "  Taylor  Place,"  which  was  located  on 
Dudley  Street,  opposite  Howard  Avenue.  The  grand  old 
house  is  still  familiarly  remembered  by  a  large  number  of 
Dorchester's  residents ;  but  although  a  portion  of  its  history 
is  generally  known,  few  realize  to  what  varied  events, 
joyful  and  sorrowful,  gay  and  pathetic,  the  sturdy  old  walls 
had  so  long  stood  silent  witnesses.  Here  the  gallants  of 
the  last  century  gayly  led  the  fair  maidens  in  courtly 
dance ;  here  the  infidelity  of  one  trusted  and  loved  filled 
a  devoted  wife's  heart  with  bitterness  and  desolation  ;  here 
the  literary,  social,  and  political  leaders  exchanged  their 
politest  courtesies,  and  discussed  subjects  of  the  deepest 
importance  to  the  nation. 

The  Taylor  estate  embraced  a  large  tract  of  land,  which 
was  bounded  by  flowering  shi-ubs.  Tall,  majestic  elms 
surrounded  the  house,  which  was  itself  a  type  of  the  hos- 
pitality wliich  reigned  within.  A  flight  of  broad  stone 
steps  led  to  the  entrance ;  a  heavy  door  swung  on  its 
great  hinges  as  the  visitor  passed  through  into  the  great 
hall.  One  who  was  fortunate  enough  to  visit  the  house 
before  its  destruction  gives  the  following  description  of  it : 

"  Passing  beneath  an  arch  of  artistic  beauty,  a  broad  passage 
leads  to  the  long  French  windows  which  open  upon  the  baleouy, 
and  cue  can  in  fancy  see  the  grand  dames  who  swept  along 
these  eoiTidors,  breathing  the  perfumed  air  from  the  gardens, 
touched  without  doubt  during  the  long  summer  days  by  a  breath 
of  east  wind  from  Dorchester  Bay.  Eetm-ning  to  the  interior, 
one  ascends  the  staii'case,  to  be  charmed  by  the  ease  of  the 
ascent;  for  the  stairs  are  ideal  iu  construction,  low  and  broad, 
and  the  balustrade  is  of  rosewood,  rich  with  the  colors  of  a  cen- 
tm-y,  while  along  the  centre  liue  there  is  a  delicate  tracery  of 
inlaid  wood,  exquisite  in  form  and  tone.     Above  us  there  is  a 


1750.]  EARLY   DORCHESTER   HOJLES.  -109 

ceiling  design,  unique,  elaborate,  and  beautiful,  which  for  sym- 
metry it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  counterpart.  The  work  is 
stucco,  and  the  odd  fancies  are  finely  wrought  iu  odd  corners 
which  the  rambling  lines  of  the  upper  rooms  compel.  In  the 
entrance  hall  again  we  have  directly  in  front  of  us  folding  doors 
opening  into  the  breakfast  room,  which  is  bright  and  sunny, 
being  lighted  by  a  large  bay  window.  The  walls  are  covered  by 
an  odd  old  paper  of  the  peculiar  landscape  pattern.  Along  the 
cornice  is  thrown  a  fine  cai-ved  tracery.  The  lower  half  of  the 
wall-space  is  panelled,  and  the  border  corresponds  to  the  cornice 
in  design  and  workmanship.  At  the  right  of  the  entrance  we 
enter  the  dining-hall,  a  long  handsome  room,  lighted  by  five 
windows  reaching  to  the  floor.  The  cornice  is  very  elaborate 
here,  and  the  long  windows  are  wide  and  high,  fitted  with  fold- 
ing inside  blinds,  secured  in  a  primitive  but  effective  fashion, 
particularly  in  the  front  windows,  which  open  upon  tiny  balco- 
nies of  wrought  U'on,  which  show  a  graceful  fancy.  Opposite 
the  dining-room  is  a  library,  with  quaint  metal  canings,  fluted 
pilasters  ornamented  by  figures  of  Bacchus  and  Ceres ;  while 
above  the  door-posts  other  mythological  figures  pose.  In  this 
room  there  is  a  deep  vault,  and  the  key  to  this  treasure-house 
has  the  artistic  touch  which  belongs  to  everything  here,  and 
gives  an  air  of  refinement  and  quiet  elegance. 

"The  drawing-room  occupies  the  centre  of  the  second  floor, 
presenting  one  of  the  finest  interiors  to  be  found  in  this  part  of 
the  country.  The  vaulted  ceiling  is  elaborately  decorated  in 
stucco,  while  the  cornice  bears  deep-cut  designs  in  conventional 
form.  Doors  and  casings  bear  the  graceful  drooping  garlands 
which  everywhere  mark  the  decorative  treatment  of  colonial 
days.  This  drawing-room  seems  fitted  for  hospitality,  and 
there  is  a  charming  touch  of  patriotism  displayed  in  the  orna- 
mentation of  the  door-posts,  whose  caps  ai-e  made  in  panel 
form,  bearing  upon  the  centre  space  an  emblematic  group  con- 
sisting of  the  American  eagle  standing  guard  over  the  shield, 
above  which  are  garlands  of  laurel.  The  front  parlor  is  long, 
lighted  by  a  large  bay  window,  which  overlooks  the  grounds  and 
driveway ;  while  the  back  parlor  opens  by  long  French  windows 
upon  a  bewitching  nook  in  balcony  form,  from  which  one  can 


410  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1750. 

look  into  birds'  uests  and  the  dense  foliage  of  graud  old  trees. 
These  parlors  are  flanked  by  square  rooms  on  either  side,  and  a 
very  romantic  thing  it  is  to  visit  some  of  these  cosy,  odd-shaped 
rooms,  which  can  be  accomplished  by  mounting  a  back  staircase 
from  the  small  square  hall  between  the  breakfast  and  dining- 
rooms  on  the  first  floor.  Following  along  a  dark  passage  until 
a  group  of  doors  is  reached,  we  come  to  a  suite  of  pretty  rooms 
on  the  second  floor ;  but  mounting  another  flight  of  stairs,  we 
follow  along  a  passage  which  tells  very  plainly  that  we  are 
under  the  eaves.  There  are  deep  closets  here  which  would  de- 
light any  housekeeper,  and  we  pass  several  deep  recesses  before 
we  reach  the  door  which  opens  into  a  veritable  '  sky  parlor.' 
This  room  is  about  ten  by  sixteen  feet,  built  up  square  on  the 
roof,  lighted  by  four  large  windows ;  there  are  floods  of  sun- 
shine pouring  in  here  from  morning  till  night ;  and  the  view 
over  the  tree-tops  is  grand,  as  we  can  see  beyond  the  tossing 
foliage  the  deep  blue  of  the  sea,  dotted  by  white  sails  and 
occasional  darker  lines  of  smoke,  which  mark  an  out-going 
steamer. ' 

It  was  in  this  room  that  Sarah  Wentwortli  Apthorp, 
better  known  to  the  social  world  as  Mrs.  Perez  Morton, 
composed  the  first  American  novel,  "  The  Power  of  Sym- 
pathy," in  which  she  recorded,  skilfully  disguised  in  an  in- 
tricate plot,  the  seduction  and  death  of  her  favorite  sister. 

Here,  too,  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that  the  youthful  Perez 
Morton,  then  but  twenty-foui'  years  of  age,  composed  the 
funeral  oration  pronounced  by  him  over  the  body  of  Gen- 
eral Joseph  Warren,  who  passed  the  night  in  this  house 
just  before  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  As  Mrs.  John 
Adams  wrote  at  the  time,  "A  young  fellow  could  not 
have  wished  a  finer  opportunity  to  display  his  talents." 
"  Illustrious  relics  !  "  said  the  young  orator,  apostrophizing 
the  exhumed  remains  before  him,  — "  illustrious  relics ! 
What  tidings  from  the  grave  ?  Why  hast  thou  left  the 
peaceful  mansions  of  the  tomb  to  visit  again  this  troubled 

earth?" 

1  New  England  Magazine,  May,  1890. 


1750.]  EAELY    DORCHESTER   HOMES.  411 

Tliis  "young  Perez  Morton  "soon  became  a  prominent 
figure,  and  took  rank  with  the  leading  spirits  of  the  Revo- 
lution. Long  afterwards,  one  of  his  hist  public  duties  was 
the  acting  as  State's  attorney,  assisted  by  Daniel  Webster, 
in  the  celebrated  trial  of  the  Knapps  at  Salem  in  1830,  for 
the  murder  of  CajJtain  Joseph  White.  Born  in  PljTuouth, 
Mass.,  November  13, 1751,  he  was  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1771.  From  1807  to  1811  he  was  speaker  of 
the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives ;  from  1811 
to  1832  he  was  attorney-general  of  Massachusetts,  and  in 
1820  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  State  convention.  He  died 
November  14,  1837. 

An  old  resident  of  Dorchester,  in  recalling  the  house, 
says :  "  It  Avas  built  in  old  colonial  style,  and  was  by  far 
the  finest  residence  in  Dorchester.  I  remember  visiting 
the  house  when  a  lad.  The  then  owner  had  but  recently 
retired  from  the  wholesale  shoe  business,  having  acquired 
a  large  fortune.  It  is  said  that  on  the  j^anels  of  the  doors 
of  his  carriage  was  conspicuously  painted  — 

"  '  Who  would  have  thought  it 
Shoes  could  have  bought  it.' " 

Who  the  predecessors  of  Mr.  Morton  were  in  the  owner- 
ship of  the  Taylor  House  is  not  known ;  certain  it  is  that 
the  personality  of  Mr.  Morton  stamped  it  with  more  of  its 
character  than  any  of  its  earlier  owners,  and  that  his  name 
will  ever  be  associated  with  the  "  Old  Taylor  Place."  For 
tlu'ee-quarters  of  a  century  it  was  occupied  in  succession 
by  Coolidge,  Hedge,  and  others,  and  finally  by  the  Taylors, 
by  whose  name  it  will  be  known  in  history. 

THE    NEWELL    HOUSE. 
(Tbis  sketch  is  written  by  William  B.  Trask. ) 

Soon  after  the  advent  of  Joseph  Newell  and  Ebenezer 
Niles  to  Commercial  Point,  soon  after  1800,  they  set  about 
erecting  two  large,  square,  palatial  houses,  —  so  considered, 


412 


GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 


[1800. 


probably,  in  their  day.  They  liad  connected  themselves 
as  partners  in  business,  built  vessels,  and  were  actively 
engaged,  somewhat  extensively  for  the  jaeriod,  in  commer- 
cial matters ;  but  the  panic  resulting  from  the  War  of 
1812  settled  down  upon  them,  and  put  a  close  to  their 
business  speculations  and  prospects.  The  houses  referred 
to,  now  standing,  were  built  internally  and  externally  of 
uniform  size  and  appearance  ;  but  to  obtain  a  satisfactory 
site  for  the  residence  of  Mr.  Newell,  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  remove  one  of  the  most  ancient  buildings  of  the 


A    VIEW    OK    THK    WATF.liINC    I'LACE    AT    TIXIAX. 


time  in  that  vicinity,  and  by  far  the  oldest  of  my  boy- 
hood recollections  of  ancient  houses  on  Commercial  Point, 
—  namely,  the  old  "Preston  House,"  built,  not  unlikely, 
by  Daniel  Preston,  the  deacon,  who  was  born  in  England 
in  1621,  made  freeman  in  1665,  and  died  in  Dorchester 
November  10,  1707.  This  house  was  removed  from  what 
was  then  the  corner  of  Commercial  and  Neponset  Streets 
to  the  opposite  or  northerly  corner  of  those  streets,  and 
a  brick  basement  added.     This  house,  seventy-five  years 


1800.]  EARLY  DORCHESTER    HOJEES.  413 

ago,  according  to  my  distinct  remembrance,  had  a  ven- 
erated appearance.  Many  pleasant,  hajjpy  hours  were 
spent  under  its  antiquated  roof.  Jonathan  Capen  and 
family  were  the  occupants.  The  second  story  projected 
somewhat  from  the  lower  one  on  the  Neponset  Street  side. 
It  was  currently  reported  and  believed  at  the  time,  that 
the  house  was  built  thus  protruding  to  enable  the  in- 
mates to  look  out  from  the  chamber  above  and  detect 
the  slyly  lurking  savages  who  might  perchance  be  stand- 
ing there ;  but  it  is  hardly  necessary  now  to  make  the 
observation  that  the  house  was  built,  like  other  ancient 
houses  in  this  country  and  in  England  at  the  period,  in 
the  style  of  the  seventeenth  century.  This  structui-e  was 
some  time  since  destroyed ;  but  its  general  form  and  ap- 
pearance has  been  distinctly  photographed  on  my  memory. 

Among  the  habitues  of  the  Newell  House,  as  we  term 
it,  of  a  comparatively  later  date,  may  be  mentioned,  Calvin 
Bailey,  Mrs.  Edward  Blake,  Mrs.  John  Pliillips,  mother  of 
the  late  Wendell  Phillips,  Charles  O.  Whitmore,  —  father 
of  the  present  City  Registrar  of  Boston,  William  H. 
Whitmore,  —  Thomas  Kettell,  postmaster  there,  Thomas 
C.  Wales,  and  others.  Captain  William  M.  Rogers,  an 
Englishman,  a  retired  sea-captain,  was  the  owner  and 
occu23ant,  until  his  death,  of  the  companion  house. 

In  connection  with  this  house  it  may  be  well  to  say  that 
Commercial  Point,  formerly  a  promontory,  on  the  highest 
part  of  which  a  fort  was  erected  in  1812,  has  been  kno\vn 
by  its  present  name  for  more  than  three  quarters  of  a 
century.  It  was  formerly  called  "  Preston's  Point,"  or 
"  Tinian,"  corru^pted  into  "  Tenean."  ^  Newell  and  Niles, 
before  mentioned,  were  actively  engaged,  as  we  have  been 

'  In  confirmation  of  the  true  spelling  of  the  name,  see  "Chronological 
and  Topographical  Account  of  Dorcliester,"  in  "Collections  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Historical  Society,"  first  series,  vol.  ix.,  page  163,  written  by  the 
Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris,  D.D.  "  The  land,"  he  writes,  "  here  forms  a 
promontory  called  'Preston's  Point,'  and  sometimes  'Tinian.'" 


414  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1808. 

iuformecl,  in  the  East  India  trade,  and  probably  adopted 
the  name  "  Tinian  "  from  the  island  in  that  region  where 
spices,  gums,  and  other  Oriental  products  were  obtained 
for  transportation  in  their  vessels  to  these  shores.  A 
copperplate  view  of  this  island  may  be  found,  with  an 
interesting  description,  in  "  The  World  Displayed,"  1779, 
printed  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  volume  vii.,  pages  142-176. 
A  process  cut,  taken  from  the  old  view,  is  given  with 
this  sketch. 

THE   CODMAlf    HOUSE.l 

The  old  Codman  mansion  house  ^  has  not  such  a  title  to 
antiquity  as  may  be  claimed  by  many  other  buildings  of  the 
town,  for  it  is  only  about  one  hundred  years  since  it  was 
constructed.  The  original  owner,  Mr.  Seth  Thayer,  sold 
it  to  Rev.  Dr.  Codman  when  the  latter  was  called  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Second  Church  in  1808.  At  that  time  it 
was  simply  a  square  building ;  and  it  presented  somewhat 
the  appearance  of  a  fortification,  as  it  was  mounted  on  the 
top  of  a  series  of  terraces  that  made  it  difficult  of  approach. 
The  young  minister  being  then  a  bachelor,  the  house  was 
large  enough  for  him ;  but  as  he  was  married  soon  after, 
and  his  family  began  to  increase,  corresponding  additions 
were  made,  and  ells  were  succeeded  by  ells,  until,  looking 
at  it  from  the  south,  it  has  the  unclerical  appearance  of  a 
rope-walk  or  a  ten-pin  alley. 

It  is  due  to  the  unbounded  hospitality  of  Dr.  Codman 
to  say  that  these  enlargements  were  made  rather  for  the 
benefit  of  liis  brethren  than  for  that  of  his  childi-en.  In 
those  days  that  antedated  railroads,  it  was  the  custom  of 
country  ministers  from  the  interior,  who  came  to  Boston, 
especially  on  "  anniversaiy  week,"  to  "  put  up "  here. 
Not  only  did  they  put  themselves  up  in  the  house,  but 
they  put  their  horses  up  in  the  barn ;    so  that  the  whole 

■  The  autlior  is  indebted  to  Captain  Jolin  Codman  for  tliis  sketch. 
2  See  illustration  on  page  175. 


1808.]  EABLY   DORCHESTER   HOJIES.  415 

establisliment  had  the  air  of  an  eastern  caravansary. 
They  were  always  made  welcome,  although  not  unfre- 
quently  they  abused  their  privileges.  Unfortunately  the 
doctor  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  rich  man ;  and  he 
was  so  for  the  times,  although  liis  property  never  ex- 
ceeded a  hunched  thousand  dollars.  The  brethi-en  were 
accustomed  to  calculate  the  income  on  tliis  enormous  sum, 
adding  to  it  his  salary  of  eight  hundred  dollars,  wliich,  by 
the  bye,  he  could  never  collect  in  full,  because  liis  parish- 
ioners supposed  he  did  not  need  it ;  and  then  they  went  in 
for  a  division,  as  far  as  they  could  get  it,  on  the  early 
Christian  method. 

The  children  of  the  family  have  a  realizing  memory  of 
being  sent  to  the  attic  and  closets  to  make  room  for  their 
"bretlu-en  in  the  Lord,"  and,  as  the  anniversaries  came  in 
cherry  time,  of  the  big  blackbirds  tliat  roosted  in  their 
favorite  trees.  Before  the  total  abstinence  era  the  clergy 
made  large  demands  for  liquors  and  tobacco.  They  did 
not  care  much  for  wine  and  cigars ;  but  their  tastes  ran  to 
rum  and  pipes,  of  which  an  abundant  supply  was  always 
kept  on  hand.  The  result  of  this  constant  ministerial 
debauch  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  the  pastor's  wife. 
That  excellent  woman,  who  was  indeed  a  "mother  in 
Israel,"  was  made  to  be  the  slave  of  Israel  likewise. 
When  the  swarm  had  passed  over,  there  was  a  grand 
cleaning  up ;  carpets  were  taken  up  and  shaken ;  the  fire- 
place "  jams "  were  scrubbed  with  brick-dust  solution  to 
efface  the  tobacco  stains  ;  and  the  ecclesiastical  hotel  was 
put  in  order  for  transient  visitors. 

Probably  in  no  private  dwelling  of  the  land  have  there 
ever  been  so  many  doctrinal  discussions  as  in  tliis  old 
mansion  house.  Commencing  with  the  great  split  be- 
tween Orthodoxy  and  Unitarianism,  down  tlu-ough  the 
eras  of  "  Hopkinsianism,"  "  Taylorism,"  and  numerous 
smaller  schisms,  the  clericals  had  it  hot  and  heavy  over  the 
breakfast  and  dinner  tables ;   and  the  cUsputes  were  not 


416  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEE.  [1822. 

ended  till  evening  prayers  sent  the  belligerents  to  bed. 
If  any  minister's  childi-en  in  the  country  had  opportunities 
for  doctrinal  study,  those  of  Dr.  Codman  certainly  had  it 
above  all  of  them.  They  ought  to  have  been  "  well 
grounded  in  the  faith."  In  fact  most  of  them  were 
stranded;  and  when  they  got  off  the  rocks,  they  em- 
barked on  the  smoother  seas  of  Episcopalianism  and 
Unitarianism,  one  only  remaining  to  maintain  allegiance 
to  the  old  church. 

After  the  death  of  Dr.  Codman,  his  eldest  son  occupied 
the  house  for  some  years.  It  then  became  a  boarding 
school  for  young  ladies,  —  first  under  Miss  Dodge,  and 
then  under  Mrs.  Cochran.  At  last  it  was  sold  to  Mr. 
John  M.  Forbes,  the  present  owner,  who  has  allowed  it  to 
fall  into  ruins.  It  is  perhaps  too  old  to  be  advantageously 
renovated,  and  it  would  gratify  the  descendants  and  friends 
of  Dr.  Codman  if  Mr.  Forbes  would  level  it  with  the  dust ; 
for  it  is  now  only  a  sad  reminder  of  departed  days. 

THE   TUTTLE   HOUSE.^ 

The  Tuttle  estate,  situated  at  the  junction  of  Savin  Hill 
Avenue  and  the  Old  Colony  railroad,  came  into  the  pos- 
session of  Joseph  Tuttle  in  1822.  At  this  time  there  was 
an  old  house  standing  on  the  property,  in  front  of  which 
was  the  magnificent  elm,  still  standing,  and  admired  by  all 
who  see  it.  The  story  goes  that  more  than  a  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago  a  little  girl  named  Lois  Wiswall  was  cb-iving 
home  the  cows,  which  had  been  out  to  pasture  on  the  hill, 
and  on  the  way  she  pulled  up  a  small  switch  by  the  roots 
to  vise  in  keeping  the  refractory  animals  in  the  narrow 
road.  That  evening  she  planted  the  switch  in  front  of  the 
house ;  and  from  so  small  a  beginning  grew  this  great  tree. 

Mr.  Tuttle  added  two  wings  to  the  old  house,  and  some 
years  later  tore  down  the  ancient  structure,  constructing 

'  See  illustration  on  page  53. 


1822.] 


EARLY   DORCHESTER    HOJIES. 


417 


that  jjortion  of  the  building  so  as  to  correspond  with  the 
other  parts.  This  was  the  present  "  Tuttle  House,"  which 
was  the  oldest  of  the  country  and  seaside  hotels  built  in 
the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  which  was  ^^atronized  for  half 
a  century  by  the  wealthiest  and  most  fashionable  of  Boston 
families. 

As  will  be  seen  in  the  perusal  of  the  preceding  pages, 
few  towns  can  boast  a  larger  number  of  houses  to  which 
history  and  romance  have  contributed  so  generously. 
Time,  however,  has  had  its  effect  upon  them,  and,  with  the 
ravages  of  fii-e  and  the  elements,  has  blotted  out  nearly  all 
of  these  venerable  landmarks.  Those  who  recognized  in 
them  the  sturdy  emblems  of  their  forefathers'  fidelity  and 
worth  can  never  be  wholly  reconciled  to  their  loss,  — 

"  For  time  hath  not  rebuilt  tliem,  but  uprear'd 
Barbaric  dwelhngs  on  their  shatter'd  site, 
Which  makes  more  mourned  and  more  endcar'd 
The  few  last  rays  of  their  far  scatter'd  light, 
And  the  crushed  relics  of  their  vanish'd  might." 


LOCK    OK    DINING-IIALL    UOOR,    TAYLOR    HOUSE. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


MODERN  TIMES.    1861-1893. 


illRST  among  the  opening  events  of  the 
period  which  may  be  called  modern  in 
the  history  of  the  town,  was  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion.  As  in  every  event  of  na- 
tional importance,  Dorchester  ajipreciated 
the  situation  in  which  the  country  found 
itself,  and  put  forth  every  exertion  to  take  a  notable  part 
in  the  momentoiis  struggle.  When  war  was  proclaimed 
against  Great  Britain,  almost  a  century  before,  Dorchester 
sent  to  the  front  one-third  of  her  men  who  were  over  six- 
teen years  of  age ;  to  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  with  a 
population  of  ten  thousand,  she  enrolled  thirteen  hundred 
and  forty-two  soldiers,  which  was  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  in  excess  of  all  calls. 

Nearly  every  Massachusetts  regiment  contained  men 
who  claimed  Dorchester  as  their  home ;  but  one  company 
was  organized  within  the  town  limits  in  which  the  in- 
habitants took  special  interest.  Dr.  Benjamin  Gushing 
has  in  his  possession  an  autograph  list  of  the  members  of 
this  Company  K,  Eleventh  Regiment  Massachusetts  Vol- 
unteers, giving  the  age  of  each  man  and  his  occupation  at 
the  time  of  his  enlistment.     The  list  is  as  follows :  — 

Capt.  Benjamin  Stone,  Jr.,  43  yrs.   .     .     .  Music-enirraver 

1st  Lieut.  Wni.  V.  ^Monroe,  31      ...     .  Miner  (?) 

3cl  Lieut.  George  W.  Lucas,  25    ...     .  Caliinet-maker 

4tli  Lieut.  Nath'l  Clark,  22 Baker 

2d  Lieut.  .Tohn  T.  Swett,  27 Accountant 

Orderly  Sergeant  John  Munn,  26      .     .     .  House-joiner 


1861.]  MODERN  TIMES.  419 

Alex.  Musgrave,  21  yrs Carriage-maker 

A.  Wallace  Leman,  18 Wood-engraver 

Marshall  Gordon,  28 House-painter 

Aaron  Bradsliaw,  28 Carpenter 

John  W.  Sterling,  22 Burnisher 

James  Barrett,  26 Boot-makei- 

Thomas  F.  Bailey,  22 Carpenter 

Amos  Morse,  33 Burnisher 

George  H.  Clark,  29 Tin-plate  worker 

Charles  Bunce,  21 Forger 

A.  E.  Phillips,  27 Currier 

Alson  A.  Lathrop,  22 N.ailer 

Charles  H.  C'ha.«e,  24 Kailroad  conductor 

Newell  D.  Stevens,  20 Burnisher 

Horace  1).  Burr,  23 Carriage-worker 

John  Xeus,  28 Brass-moulder 

Alonzo  L.  Burke,  25 Butcher 

J.  Greenleaf,  33 Teamster 

A.  F.  Anderson,  21 Cabinet-maker 

Martin  W.  Stone,  22 Britannia-worker 

AViliiam  T.  Barnes,  22 Cabinet-maker 

Henry  N.  Blake,  22 Lawyer 

Edward  C.  Wrin,  19 Carpenter 

George  W.  Billings,  30 Candle-maker 

S.  H.  Weld,  Jr.,  29 Farmer 

C.  S.  Dodge,  19 Cabinet-maker 

L.  A.  Hilton,  2.5 Teamster 

W.  F.  Coolidge,  27 Boot-trader 

B.  F.  Bowen.  21 Cabinet-maker 

Thomas  S.  Homer,  23 Engineer 

Horace  M.  Packard,  18 Provision-dealer 

Isaac  Learned,  38 Oyster  man 

Samuel  Thompson  (drummer),  71     .     .     .  Cabinet-maker 

W.  E.  Blake,  18 Forger 

Henry  A.  Seaverns,  19 Nail-maker 

Charles  S.  Haskell,  23 Carpenter 

B.  H.  Morse,  18 House-joiner 

P.  L.  Eastman,  28 Machinist 

J.  B.  Anderson,  21 Carriage-maker 

S.  W.  Savill,  32 Boot-maker 

M.  S.  Haynes,  45 Farmer 

T.  J.  Nightingale,  25 Carpenter 

S.  R.  Magoun,"  21 Carpenter 

A.  F.  Sterling,  20 Farmer 

H.  W.  Brigham,  21 Britannia-worker 

Robert  E.  Lapmann,  30 Cabinet-maker 

Fred  Ludwig,  19 Brass-finisher 

Henry  H.  Hosley,  21 Miller 

Alfred  Davies,  22 Grocer 

John  C.  Davies,  23 Machinist 

Andrew  G.  Hoffman,  20 Burnisher 

C.  H.  Marsh,  27 Carpenter 

Frank  Neus,  18 Basket-maker 


420  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1861. 

Chas.  B.  Chandler,  23  yrs Silver-chaser 

Edward  F.  Gleason,  24 Chaser 

Thomas  H.  Neul,  24 Boot-maker 

L.  S.  Bluckman,  21 Mason 

James  L.  Hooper,  45 Carpenter 

Samuel  Clapp,  18 Nail-maker 

George  S.  Smith,  18 Sailor 

James  E.  Harris,  30 Burnisher 

Edward  Kelly,  21 Machinist 

G.  W.  Rowlock,  22 Tinman 

William  H.  Wry,  24 Carpenter 

Christopher  Kurcher,  27 Britamiia-worker 

Henry  Snow,  37 Carpenter 

Albert  H.  Glover,  26 Druggist 

William  H.  Tileston,  22 Pianoforte-maker 

Gilman  F.  Hill,  2fi Teamster 

Geo.  H.  Laphan,  20 Blacksmith 

James  B.  Chandler,  32 Silversmith 

Company  K  was  notable  because  of  the  character  of 
those  who  enlisted  in  it.  They  were  neither  mercenaries 
nor  holiday  soldiers,  but  respectable  young  men  who  left 
their  daily  business  from  patriotic  motives.  Every  man 
in  the  company  had  a  calling  in  life,  some  twenty-six 
trades  being  represented  on  its  list.  The  company  was 
organized  under  the  State  law,  the  men  choosing  their 
own  oiificers.  They  had  a  surgical  inspection  by  Dr.  Ben- 
jamin Gushing,  and  were  di-illed  in  Lyceum  Hall,  Meet- 
ing-House  Hill,  May  27,  1861.  The  Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall, 
Jr.,  made  a  jDrayer ;  and  the  company,  escorted  by  a  large 
number  of  their  townsmen,  marched  to  Long  Wharf  to 
take  the  boat  for  Fort  Warren.  After  spenchng  a  few 
weeks  at  the  fort  they  went  into  camp  at  Cambridge ; 
thence  they  went  to  the  seat  of  war,  to  take  part  in  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run.  The  comi^any  went  through  the 
Peninsular  Campaign  under  McLellan,  and  consequently 
were  at  Yorktown,  Williamsburg,  Fairoaks,  Malvern  Hill, 
and  the  Seven  Days'  Fight  and  retreat.  Thence  they  went 
to  Alexandria,  and  were  at  the  second  Battle  of  Bull  Run, 
where  Captain  Stone  was  killed.  They  were  at  Fred- 
ericksburg under  Burnside ;  they  were  under  Hooker 
until  he  was  relieved  by  Meade,  and  were  at  the  Battle 


1861.]  MODERN   TIMES.  421 

of  Gettysburg,  where  they  suffered  severely,  going  into 
the  battle  thirty  strong,  including  officers,  and  losing  nine- 
teen, killed  and  wounded.  They  went  tlii-ough  the 
Wilderness  under  Grant,  and  were  discharged  on  the 
expiration  of  their  three  years'  service,  June  13,  1864 ; 
and  they  reached  Dorchester  a  week  later  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  William  V.  Monroe. 

In  anticipation  of  the  return,  a  meeting  was  held  in 
the  vestry  of  the  First  Church,  and  preparations  were 
made  for  a  reception.  A  large  number  of  the  townsmen, 
with  a  band  of  music,  went  to  meet  them,  and  escorted 
them  to  Meeting-House  Hill,  where  Mr.  Hall  offered  a 
prayer  of  thanks  for  their  safe  return.  The  Rev.  James 
H.  Means  made  an  address  of  welcome,  after  which  they 
took  refreshments  in  Lyceum  Hall.  The  school  children 
were  out  by  the  roadside  as  the  company  and  escort  came 
to  the  hill. 

During  the  three  years'  service  the  company  had  seen 
changes.  Some  had  gone  into  other  regiments,  some  were 
wounded,  some  discharged,  some  killed,  and  some  were 
sick.  Thus  out  of  those  who  set  out  from  Dorchester 
three  years  before,  only  twelve  returned.  A  gentleman, 
who  went  to  Gettysburg,  in  speaking  of  his  visit  said : 
"  You  see  the  line  of  march  of  the  Eleventh  by  the  line 
of  grave-boards." 

The  following  data,  in  regard  to  those  who  represented 
the  town  and  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  cause  of  liberty, 
is  taken  from  the  published  proceedings  at  the  dedication 
exercises  of  the  Soldiers'  Monument :  — 

CAUSES    OF    DEATH. 

KUled  in  battle 26 

Died  of  disease 29 

Died  of  wounds 20 

Inhuman  treatment  in  rebel  prisons 11 

Accidental       .           2 

Unknown 9 

~97 


422  GOOD   OLD   DOBCHESTER.  [1861. 

NATIONALITY. 

Born  in  Dorchester 39 

"     elsewhere  in  Massachusetts 20 

"     in  Ireland 8 

"      "  Provinces 7 

"     "  JNIaine 8 

"     "  Germany 4 

"     "  England 1 

"     "  Scotland 2 

"     "  Prussia 1 

"     "  Illinois 2 

"     "  New  Hampshire 2 

Birthplace  unknown 3 

~97 

The  churches  of  Dorchester  clid  noble  service  for  the 
relief  of  the  soldiers.  In  1861  the  Benevolent  Society  of 
the  First  Parish  was  organized  especially  for  this  object ; 
and  it  would  be  cUfficult  to  estimate  the  good  work 
accomplished.  During  the  war  this  society  contributed 
provisions  and  supjjlies  to  the  amount  of  no  less  than 
fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  dollars.  Other  churches,  wliile 
not  accomplishing  so  great  a  work,  were  equally  zealous 
in  their  endeavors. 

The  Sunday  afternoon  of  August  31, 1862,  was  one  long 
remembered  by  the  good  people  of  Dorchester.  News  had 
just  been  received  of  the  result  of  the  second  battle  of 
Bull  Run ;  and  all  the  churches  gave  up  their  afternoon 
services  to  the  work  of  making  bandages  and  packing 
provisions  for  the  sick  and  wounded.  The  First  Parish 
alone  sent  off  twenty-one  cases  as  a  result  of  that  after- 
noon's work.  It  is  estimated  that  the  whole  amount  con- 
tributed by  societies  and  private  individuals,  during  the 
war,  for  the  relief  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors,  was  more 
than  fifty  thousand  dollars. 

The  Dorchester  Soldiers'  Monument  owes  its  existence 
to  the  exertions  of  the  Pickwick  Club,  —  an  organization 
which  flourished  before  the  war,  and  still  exists.  It  was 
started  for  literary  and  debating  purposes,  its  first  meeting 
being  held  in  Lyceum  Hall,  Meeting-House  Hill,  Decern- 


SECOND    PARISH    CHURCH. 


1866.]  MODERN   TIMES.  425 

ber  6, 1855.  Most  of  its  members  had  previously  belonged 
to  the  original  "  Dorchester  High  School  Lyceum,"  —  a 
school  society  devoted  to  the  same  purposes.  There  were 
some  dozen  or  more  original  members,  and  Jolm  A.  Fox 
was  the  first  president.  The  number  of  members  was 
limited  to  fifty,  of  whom  twenty-one  served  in  the  War 
of  the  Kebellion.  There  died  in  service  from  wounds  or 
disease,  Thomas  B.  Fox,  Jr.,  Henry  W.  Wall,  William 
R.  Porter,  George  F.  Boynton,  Walter  Humplireys,  and 
J.  H.  Stimpson.  The  number  of  members  now  living  is 
tliirty-two. 

Its  last  regular  meeting  as  an  active  literary  society 
(its  tenth  anniversary  and  one  hundred  and  ninety-sixth 
regular  meeting)  was  on  January  12,  1866,  after  which 
meetings  were  suspended  on  account  of  the  war  until  its 
first  anniversary  dinner,  January  4,  1867.  Since  then  the 
club  has  existed  only  as  an  alumni  association,  having  its 
annual  dinner  on  the  second  Friday  in  January  of  each 
year,  usually  at  the  Parker  House.  During  its  active  ex- 
istence the  club  held  regular  meetings,  with  occasional 
public  exercises  and  debates,  and,  at  longer  intervals,  pub- 
lic exhibitions  of  declamations,  essays  and  poems,  ch'amatic 
selections  and  music. 

Richard  C.  Humplu-eys,  Esq.,  was  an  active  member  of 
the  Pickwick  Club;  and  a  letter  from  him,  in  reference 
to  the  organization,  shows  its  important  influence  on  the 
community.     Mr.  Humphi-eys  writes:  — 

"I  remember  standing  with  William  J.  Rolfe,  then  princi- 
pal of  the  Dorchester  High  School,  now  Professor  Rolfe  of 
Cambridge,  and  John  A.  Fox,  in  the  vestry  of  First  Parish 
Chm-ch  at  a  meeting  of  the  First  Parish  Christian  Union,  one 
Sunday  evening,  when,  I  think,  Mr.  Fox  suggested  that  we 
form  a  literary  society,  to  meet  week-day  evenings,  like  the 
Dorchester  High  School  Lyceum.  A  meeting  was  called  of 
about  a  dozen  young  men,  and  we  organized  the  Pickwick 
Club.     The  club  was  a  great  success,  and  it  would  be  impos- 


426 


GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK. 


[1867. 


sible  to  estimate  the  good  that  it  accomplished.  Its  influence 
was  very  helpful  morally  and  intellectually,  and  its  members 
have  held  high  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility ;  and  some 
trace  their  success  in  life  largely  to  the  influence  of  that  club." 

Soon  after  the  war  a  conimittee  of  the  Pickwick  Club 
was  appointed  "  to  solicit  subscriptions,  to  select  a  design 
for  a  soldiers'  monument  on  Meeting-House  Hill,  and  to 
take  the  general  charge  of  its  erection."  This  committee 
consisted  of  Francis  P.  Denny,  chairman,  J.  H.  Pierce, 
Charles  B.  Fox,  Wm.  F.  Jones,  Richard  C.  Humphi'eys, 
James  E.  Swan,  and  T.  M.  Jolinston. 

The  committee  were  successful  in  their  efforts  to  raise 
funds  for  the  erection  of  the  monument,  and  by  the  fall 
of  1867  the  shaft  had  reached  completion.  Its  location 
was  well  chosen,  being  directly  in  front  of  the  old  meet- 
ing-house which  had  guarded  the  religious  safety  of  the 
town  so  many  years,  in  whose  defence  the  men  whose 
names  the  monument  bears  laid  down  their  lives.  The 
tablets  on  wliich  the  names  are  inscribed  will  ever  bear 
silent  tribute  to  their  memory.  These  names  are  as 
follows :  — 


H.  W.  Hall. 

T.  B.  Fox,  Jr. 
W.  R.  Porter. 

F.  E.  Barnard. 
Walter  Humphrevs. 

G.  F.  Boynton. 
J.  H.  Stimpson. 
A.  W.  Clapp. 


ON    THE    EAST    TABLET. 

H.  D.  Burr. 
Otis  Sumner. 
E.  B.  Tileston. 
George  Holmes. 
R.  T.  Holmes. 
J.  H.  Bradshaw. 
G.  H.  Clark. 
W.  E.  Blake. 


B.  F.  Bartlett. 
Jas.  Campbell. 
T.  S.  Boynton. 
R.  Wesselhoeft. 
G.  W.  McElroy. 
W.  F.  Pope. 
E.  F.  Adams. 
H.  A.  Evans. 


Benjamin  Stone,  Jr. 
E.  C.  Foster. 
C.  A.  Browne. 
O.  J.  Dodge. 
H.  C.  Foster. 
Patrick  Collins. 
J.  McGoverin. 
A.  C.  Stone. 


ON   THE    NORTH    TABLET. 

J.  E.  Robie. 
Isaac  Williams. 
David  Brown. 
John  Marter. 
G.  E.  Tolman. 
Charles  Pool. 
G.  R.  Baxter. 
S.  H.  Cox. 


Cunnison  Deans. 
C.  W.  Richardson. 

E.  (J.  Richards. 
R.  T.  McGukin. 

F.  H.  Sumner. 
M.  W.  Stone. 
J.  E.  Bird. 
Alexander  Musgrave. 


1867.] 


MODERN   TIMES. 


427 


M.  H.  Warren. 
J.  T.  Black. 
Rufiis  Clioate. 
M.  M.  Shepard. 
S.  S.  Chadwifk. 
Jolin  B.  Phelps. 
J.  W.  Templeinan. 
C.  H.  Marsh. 


W.  G.  Hewins. 

B.  R.  Pierce. 
Frank  Carr. 
Andrew  Fais. 
A.  J.  Melntire. 
Andrew  Wilson. 
W.  B.  Oaskins. 

C.  F.  Dale. 


ON    THE    SOUTH    TABLET. 

I.  A.  Howe. 
Dallas  Southworth. 
H.  A.  Fuller. 
W.  W.  Richards. 
G.  C.  Millet. 
Augustus  Dcutling. 
J.  O.  Hill. 
S.  W.  Young. 


.James  Driscoll. 
G.  L.  French. 
J.  E.  Harris. 
.John  Doody. 
(i.  E.  Lambert. 
.S.  B.  Harris. 
G.  H.  French. 
Henry  Morrow. 


ON    THE   WEST    TABLET. 

Jas.  Teelan. 
J.  H.  Blackman. 
Harrison  Glover. 
Lemuel  Tileston. 
Sylvester  \Vheeler. 
M.  O.  Connor. 
J.  C.  Clapp. 
T.  S.  Dennett. 
Jeremiah  Hendley. 


C.  E.  Tolman. 
G.  O.  Baxter. 
William  Quigley. 
C.  E.  Hart. 
Fritz  Goeth. 
J.  W.  Sterling. 
Geo.  15.  Young. 
Frederick  Veit. 


The  dedication  of  the  monument  oecm-red  on  Sejjtember 
17,  1867.  The  Rev.  C.  A.  Humphreys,  of  Springfield, 
Mass.,  delivered  the  oration,  and  William  T.  Adams 
wrote  an  original  ode,  which  was  sung  by  the  chilch-en 
of  the  public  schools.  The  adcb-ess,  transferring  the 
monument  to  the  town  authorities,  was  delivered  by  the 
chairman  of  the  committee,  Francis  P.  Denny.  From  his 
speech  the  following  is  taken :  — 

"  We  have  assembled  on  Meeting-House  Hill  at  another 
meeting  for  the  soldiers.  What  memories  are  awakened  as  we 
gather  here  to-day !  It  was  here  you  came  to  m-ge  your  young 
men  to  enlist  in  the  army  of  the  LTnion,  at  those  earnest  meet- 
ings where  the  word  of  patriotism  was  answered  by  the  pledge 
of  life  for  the  country,  and  whose  enlistment  papers  contained 
many  a  name  inscribed  upon  the  roll  of  honor  here.  At  the 
time  of  defeat,  in  the  hour  of  darkness,  you  stood  here  close 
together  to  strengthen  your  own  faith,  and  to  send  the  word 
of  encouragement  to  your  soldiers  in  the  field.  In  the  hour  of 
dread  suspense,  on  that  never-to-be-forgotten  Sunday,  in  yon- 
der church,  there  was  a  meeting  for  the  wounded  and  the  dying 
soldiers,  where  not  a  word  was  spoken,  but  the  tender  love  of 


428  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1867. 

women  taught  the  lesson  of  the  day.  Here,  week  after  week, 
year  in  and  year  out,  in  sunshine  and  in  storm,  have  the 
mothers  and  sisters,  the  wives  and  daughters  of  our  soldiers, 
brought  their  offerings  and  prepared  those  comforts  that  can 
only  come  from  home.  How  often  have  these  rocks  resounded 
with  the  measured  tread  of  the  procession  bearing  the  precious 
dust  of  the  hero  from  leceiving  its  last  sad  honors  to  the  final 
resting  place !  And  when  victory  came,  as  come  it  must,  it 
was  here  you  welcomed  home  your  war-worn  veterans. 

"There  are  other  associations  about  this  spot  that  are  pleas- 
ant to  reflect  upon.  The  monument  stands  on  the  gTOund 
covered  from  1743  to  1817,  a  period  of  seventy-four  years,  by 
the  third  meeting-house  erected  in  the  town,  and  the  only  one 
of  its  day  and  generation.  So  that  this  is  ah'eady  consecrated 
ground  sacred  as  the  place  where  our  fathers  assembled  for 
the  worship  of  God. 

"  But  if  I  understand  aright  its  chief  use,  the  meaning  of 
the  structure,  it  is  the  lesson  of  patriotism  it  teaches  for  all 
time :  that  when  the  hour  of  national  trouble  comes  again,  of 
danger  to  the  union  of  these  States ;  when  the  constitution,  of 
which  this  day  is  the  anniversary  of  its  receiving  the  signature 
of  those  honored  men  who  framed  it,  is  misinterpreted  or 
trampled  upon,  that,  in  that  day,  which  may  God  avert,  as  the 
people  gather  together  for  counsel  of  themselves  and  of  the 
former  time,  and  as  they  ask,  'How  was  it  with  our  fathers?' 
turning  to  this  memorial  tablet  that  they  may  learn  that  in  the 
great  Civil  War  men  gave  then'  lives  a  willing  sacrifice  for  the 
life  of  their  beloved  country.  And  who  shall  say  that  in  our 
own  time,  that  to-day  we  do  not  need  its  lessons?  Are  we  so 
faithfully  carrying  out  those  grand  principles  of  justice  and 
humanity  they  died  to  maintain,  that  we  need  no  reminding  of 
our  duty ;  or  shall  we  rather  this  day,  assembled  to  offer  a 
tribute  to  patriotism,  feeling  the  presence  of  a  threatening 
cloud  in  our  political  horizon,  renew  our  pledges  and  strengthen 
our  vows  to  stand  till  death  for  the  Republic  ?  " 

James  H.  Upham,  the  chairman  of  the  selectmen,  ac- 
cepted the  monument  in  behalf  of  the  town.     He  said :  — - 


18G7.] 


MODERN   TlilES. 


429 


"The  town  of  Dorchester  accepts  the  trast.  Be  assured, 
sir,  she,  the  mother  of  free  public  schools,  whose  patriotism 
and  liberality  have  been  so  tried  in  the  early  wars  with  the 
Indians,  with  the  French  in  the  colonial  days,  in  the  War  of 
the  Eevolution,  in  the  Shays's  Rebellion,  in  the  last  war  with 
j;ngland,  and  in  the  dreadful  war  so  lately  gloriously  closed, 
and  who  has  been  found  always  true  and  trustworthy,  will 
sacredly  preserve  the  beautiful  tribute  of  her  citizens  to  the 
memory  of  sons  who,  in  obedience  to  early  instructions,  and 
inherited  purpose  in  morality,  patriotism,  and  humanity,  have 
laid  down  then-  lives  on  the  altar  of  their  country." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  town,  held  in  April,  1865,  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed,  consist- 
ing of  Edmund  J.  Baker, 
Edmund  P.  Tileston,  and 
Nathaniel  W.  Tileston,  to 
procure  a  seal,  with  a  suit- 
able device,  as  a  Corporate 
Seal  of  the  town  of  Dor- 
chester. As  a  result  of 
their  endeavors,  which 
were  aided  by  the  Anti- 
quarian and  Historical 
Society,  the  committee  offeied  the  seal  herewith  given, 
with  the  following  interesting  explanation  :  — 

"  Your  Committee  have  sought  to  emblazon  upon  the  Town 
Seal  such  a  device  as  would  symbolize  the  acts  which  rendered 
the  early  settlers  of  this  town  a  peculiar  people,  and  objects  of 
gratitude  and  veneration  by  their  descendants  for  all  time  to 
come.  The  early  settlers  of  Dorchester  organized  themselves 
as  a  church  at  the  New  Hospital  in  Plymouth,  England,  in 
March  of  1630,  prior  to  their  embarkation  for  this  country, 
which  act  was  pre-eminently  the  corner-stone  of  the  foundation 
of  this  town,  although  they  did  not  arrive  here  until  early  in 
June  of  that  year.  This  fact  is  expressed  upon  the  shield  by 
the  rude  thatch-roofed  church  which  appears,  without  a  chimney, 
in  the  dexter  base  of  the  escutcheon. 


430  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1867. 

"The  free  school,  the  system  of  which  has  been  exerting  a 
beneficial  influence  over  the  whole  country,  was  established  in 
this  town  in  1639,  and  is  said  to  be  the  very  first  free  school  in 
the  world.  The  foundation  of  this  institution  is  recognized  on 
the  shield  by  the  humble,  thatched-roof  building  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  shield,  a  little  in  the  rear  of  the  church. 

"  With  the  liberty,  and  by  grant  of  land  and  timber  by  the 
town  in  1G33,  Israel  Stoughton  was  induced  to  build  a  corn  mill 
upon  Neponset  River,  which  was  the  first  water-mill  in  the 
colony,  if  not  in  the  country.  This  fact  is  symbolically  noted 
by  the  rude  mill,  with  its  large  wheel,  which  is  seen  upon  the 
left  bank  of  Neponset  River,  the  course  of  which  river,  from 
its  source  to  its  mouth,  lay  through  the  ancient  territory  of 
Dorchester. 

"  In  the  background  will  be  recognized  the  Blue  Hills  which 
served  as  a  landmark  to  pilot  the  early  settlers  to  the  mouth  of 
Charles  River,  and  from  behind  which  the  rising  sun  is  shining 
upon  a  colony  who  left  their  homes  in  the  mother  country,  not 
as  adventurers  in  search  of  gold,  as  exiles,  or  for  conquest,  but 
the  more  precious  boon  of  religious  liberty.  The  triple-towered 
castle  surmounting  the  shield,  is  adopted  in  respectful  memory 
of  Dorchester  in  Old  England,  of  whose  seal  this  is  the  prin- 
cipal charge  (in  commemoration  of  that  borough  having  been 
formerly  a  Roman  fortress),  and  from  which  place  the  infant 
colony  derived  much  of  its  strength,  both  physically  and 
spiritually. 

"The  motto  upon  the  ribbon,  '■  Pietate,  Literis,  Industii'a,' 
signifies  that  piety,  learning,  and  industry  were  the  prominent 
virtues  which  the  earl^'  settlers  coveted,  and  which  theii-  descen- 
dants unanimously  accord  to  them." 

It  has  already  been  seen  that  Boston  had  become  en- 
riched by  appropriating,  in  1804,  that  part  of  Dorchester's 
territory  lying  upon  her  northern  border,  which  consti- 
tuted her  entire  water  frontage  upon  the  inner  harbor, 
including  Dorchester  Heights,  —  a  portion  of  the  town 
which  was  especially  dear  to  the  inhabitants  on  account  of 
the  historical  associations  which  have  ever  been  connected 


[1867.  MODERN   TIMES.  431 

with  the  spot.  Again,  fifty  years  later,  Washington  Vil- 
lage was  swallowed  up  by  the  city.  Now,  however,  in 
1867,  we  find  a  movement  on  foot  which  finally  resulted 
in  the  annexation  of  the  whole  town.  A  writer  on  the 
subject  of  annexation,  at  the  time  when  it  was  agitated, 
gives  us  an  excellent  idea  of  the  liigh  position  wliich 
Dorchester  held  when  compared  with  her  sister  towns. 
He  says  :  — 

' '  It  does  DOt  seem  strange  that  Dorchester  should  have 
enjoyed  the  precedence  which  the  other  towns  of  Massachusetts 
Bay  so  readily  accorded  her,  in  all  civil  assemblies,  and  at 
military  musters,  attributed  by  the  early  historians  to  her 
priority  of  organization ;  nor  is  it  difficult  to  conceive  that  if 
there  had  been  a  few  feet  more  depth  of  water  along  the  ten 
miles  of  shore  which  formed  her  sea  boundary,  we  should 
not  now  be  discussing  the  question  of  annexing  Dorchester  to 
Boston,  but  rather  the  propriety  of  admitting  the  peninsula  of 
Boston  to  the  metropolitan  city  of  Dorchester.  But  if  Dor- 
chester has  not  enjoyed  the  honor  of  inscribing  '  Civitas '  upon 
her  shield,  she  has  been  a  liberal  benefactress  to  the  city  of 
Boston,  and  may  also  rightfully  claim  to  have  been  a  mother 
of  towns." 

In  regard  to  the  question  of  annexing  Dorchester  to 
Boston,  or  Boston  to  Dorchester,  it  has  been  suggested 
that,  in  spite  of  the  generally  accepted  theory,  many  of 
the  old  inhabitants  prefer  to  believe  that  it  was  Dorchester 
which  received  the  additional  territory  of  the  town  of 
Boston ! 

The  possibilit}'  of  being  annexed  to  Boston  did  not 
dawn  suddenly  upon  the  good  people  of  Dorchester. 
They  had  long  seen  that  the  city  was  outgrowing  its 
limits,  and  must  soon  reach  out  in  some  direction  or  other 
to  meet  the  ever-increasing  demands.  These  had  been 
partially  met  by  the  artificial  construction  on  the  Back 
Bay,  and  later  by  the  annexation  of  Eoxbury.  With  the 
latter  event,  Dorchester  people  saw  that  it  was  the  ques- 


432  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1868. 

tion  of  only  a  few  years,  at  most,  when  the  subject  must 
be  proposed  to  them.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  soon  became 
apparent  that  the  annexation  of  Roxbury  made  it  almost 
imperative  that  a  part  of  Dorchester  be  surrendered,  in 
order  to  perfect  a  system  of  di'ainage  for  the  newly  ac- 
quired suburb. 

It  was  natural  that,  as  soon  as  the  question  was  agitated^ 
the  town  should  divide  itself  into  two  strong  parties 
opposed  to  each  other.  The  "  friends  of  annexation,"  or 
"annexationists,"  as  they  were  called  by  the  opposition 
party,  organized  their  forces  and  elected  a  "  Committee  on 
Annexation,"  consisting  of  John  G.  Nazro,  D.  B.  Sted- 
man,  Wm.  Pope,  Charles  Hunt,  Sam'l  Atherton,  John  J. 
May,  W.  P.  Leavitt,  A.  T.  Stearns,  N.  W.  Coifiu,  H.  L. 
Pierce,  Asaph  Churchill,  Cyi-us  Brewer,  John  Preston, 
John  B.  Taft,  A.  C.  Clark,  and  George  Woodman.  The 
annexationists  also  prepared  the  following  petition :  — 

To  the  Honorable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts,  in  General  Court  assembled: 

The  undersigned,  citizens  of  the  town  of  Dorchester, 
believing  that  the  common  interest  will  be  promoted  thereby, 
respectfully  petition  yom-  honorable  body  to  pass  an  act  for 
annexing  to  the  city  of  Boston  all  of  said  town  of  Dorchester, 
or  such  part  thereof  as  may  seem  proper  and  expedient. 

Marshall  P.  Wilder. 
Samuel  Dowxer. 

E.    P.    TiLESTON. 

William  Pope. 
Franklin  King. 
Dorchester,  Sept.  20,  1867.  William  E.  Coffin. 

On  December  10,  1868,  the  City  Coimcil  of  Boston 
passed  the  following  resolution :  — 

"  Whereas,  in  the  opinion  of  the  City  Council,  it  has  become 
necessary,  in  order  to  complete  the  systems  of  drainage  and 
harbor  improvements  which  have  been  devised  for  the  benefit 
of  Boston  by  the  various  commissioners  who  have  had  and  now 


1868.]  MODERN   TIMES.  433 

have  these  subjects  iu  charge,  to  assume  a  portion  or  a  whole 
of  the  town  of  Dorchester  to  the  city  of  Boston. 

"  Ordered,  That  his  honor  the  Mayor  be  requested  to  appoint 
a  commission  of  three  discreet  and  intelligent  persons,  who 
shall  carefully  examine  the  subject,  in  all  its  financial,  indus- 
trial, and  sanitary  relations,  cause  such  surveys  to  be  made 
by  the  city  surveyor,  or  under  his  direction,  as  they  may  con- 
sider necessary,  and  report  the  result  of  then-  doings,  with  such 
suggestions  as  they  may  think  proper,  to  the  City  Council,  as 
soon  as  may  be." 

The  "  annexationists  "  made  further  efforts  to  show  the 
advantages  of  being  joined  to  Boston  by  publishing  a 
pamjjlilet,  written  by  N.  W.  Coffin,  entitled  "A  Few 
Reasons  in  Favor  of  the  Annexation  of  a  Part  of  the 
Town  of  Dorchester  to  the  City  of  Boston."  This  was 
fi-eely  circulated  throughout  the  town ;  and  quotations 
from  it  are  given  below  which  show  why  the  signers  of 
the  petition  desired  annexation :  — 

"  We  have  been  asked,  what  advantages  are  to  be  gained  by 
annexation  to  the  city  of  Boston?  To  this  we  answer,  in  the 
fii'st  place,  that  most  of  om-  citizens  are  now  practically  iden- 
tified with  every  interest  of  the  city.  The  occupation  by  which 
they  live  and  accumulate  wealth  are  centred  there,  and  they 
have  as  lai'ge  a  stake  in  whatever  concerns  her  prosperity  as 
any  of  those  who  happen  to  possess  a  fixed  residence  within 
her  limits.  We  have  not  gone  into  the  examination,  but  we 
believe  it  will  be  fouud  to  be  true  that  the  greater  part  of  the 
tax  raised  iu  Dorchester  is  assessed  upon  property  which  has 
been  accumulated  in  the  city  of  Boston.  It  would  be  difficult 
to  estimate  the  amount  of  property  upon  which  residents  of 
Dorchester  are  taxed  in  the  city ;  but  it  cannot  fall  much  short, 
if  it  does  not  exceed,  the  amount  iu  the  town.  Our  relation  to 
Boston,  therefore,  is  one  of  vital  importance,  making  it  desir- 
able that  we  should  have  a  voice  and  a  vote  upon  every  meas- 
ure that  is  likely  to  affect  her  welfare.  There  is  an  increasing 
tendency  among  the  business  population  of  the  city  to  seek 
residences  in  the  suburban  towns,  caused  by  the  rapid  conver- 


434  GOOD   OLD  DORCHESTER.  [1808. 

sion  of  dwelling-houses,  in  what  were  considered  the  most 
desirable  parts  of  the  city,  into  stores  ;  and  this  fleeing  away  of 
valuable  citizens  from  duties  which  they  once  esteemed  it  a 
pleasui'e  to  discharge  is  a  cause  of  serious  concern,  not  only 
to  those  who  are  left  behind,  but  to  every  intelligent  citizen 
of  the  State,  let  him  reside  where  he  may,  who  appreciates  the 
importance  of  good  government  in  a  city  destined  to  wield  so 
powerful  an  influence  over  its  affairs  as  the  city  of  Boston. 

"  An  infusion  of  fresh  blood,  by  the  introduction  of  a  new, 
healthy,  and  vigorous  population  of  the  native  race,  such  as 
om-  suburban  towns  are  able  to  furaish,  has  been  long  felt  to 
be  necessary.  The  annexation  of  Roxbui-y  is  an  important 
step  in  this  direction,  and  is  of  so  much  value  to  the  citizens  of 
Dorchester,  as  well  as  those  of  Boston,  as  to  lead  us  to  wish 
that  we  may  also  be  united  to  the  great  mass  of  intelligent 
men  who  will  now  have  charge  of  the  administration  of  her 
affau's.  In  this  we  may  obtain  the  surest  pledges  for  her 
safety,  and  for  the  security  of  all  her  public  institutions,  relig- 
ious, educational,  and  financial,  so  essential  in  their  different 
spheres  to  our  peace  and  happiness  and  the  outward  progress 
of  civilization.  Aud  then,  in  respect  to  public  improvements, 
if  Dorchester  is  to  remain  a  town  for  the  next  ten  years,  dis- 
connected from  Boston,  appropriations  from  the  general  gov- 
ernment will  be  necessary  for  the  protection  of  our  navigable 
waters.  Will  not  these  improvements  be  much  more  readily 
accessible,  if  embraced  in  the  comprehensive  plans  of  the  city 
of  Boston? 

"  Looking  to  the  full  success  of  the  systematized  harbor  im- 
provements which  have  been  already  commended,  —  the  filling 
up  of  the  South  Boston  flats ;  the  extensions  of  railroad  tracks 
along  the  water  front,  and  over  this  capacious  area,  furnishing 
the  much-needed  depository  for  heavy  freights ;  the  consolida- 
tion of  the  Western  and  Worcester  raikoads ;  the  completion 
of  the  Hartford  aud  Erie  and  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  roads,  by 
which  the  transportation  of  heavy  freights  in  large  aggregates 
can  alone  become  possible ;  and,  as  a  consequence,  the  great 
amount  of  shipping  which  will  be  requii'ed  to  carry  those 
freights  over  sea,  —  we  must  believe  that  the  teri'itory  which  we 


1868.]  MODERN   TIMES.  435 

now  propose  to  aunes  to  Boston  will  not  half  suffice  for  the 
surplus  population  of  the  city.  If  this  statement  is  uot  an  over 
sanguine  one,  no  delay  should  occur  in  the  consummation  of 
this  measui'e. 

"  It  is  now  practicable  to  widen  streets;  to  open  new  ones; 
to  lay  out  a  grand  avenue,  and  build  a  grand  hotel ;  to  set 
apart  sufHcient  territory  for  a  central  park,  while  laud  is  cheap, 
so  that  Boston  may  not  be  behind  her  sister  cities  upon  the 
Atlantic  coast  in  the  means  of  relaxation  and  ventilation  for 
her  overflowing  population. 

"  We  have  spoken  of  our  close  identification  with  the  city 
of  Boston.  It  is  so  intimate  aud  mutually  beneficial,  as 
scarcely  to  admit  the  idea  of  a  line  of  separation.  We  spend 
our  days  toiling  in  her  streets,  and  our  nights  within  souud  of 
her  bells.  The  line  that  divides  us  is  but  little  more  than  an 
imaginary  one,  and  yet  if  we  should  need  the  aid  of  the  police 
force  of  the  city  in  any  emergency,  we  could  not  obtain  it, 
except  by  a  good  deal  of  vexatious  cii'cumlocution.  If  we 
wish  to  place  oui-  children  in  the  higher  grades  of  the  public 
schools,  we  are  as  much  barred  as  if  we  were  citizens  of  a 
foreign  country.  If  we  would  like  to  make  use  of  the  public 
librarj',  the  privilege  is  denied  us ;  and  there  are  many  other 
benefits  which  we  have  helped  to  make,  and  which  we  are  con- 
stantly engaged  in  helping  to  presei'\'e,  from  which  we  are 
excluded. 

"  Annexation  will  give  us  a  larger  and  more  eflHcient  police, 
which  we  very  much  need.  It  will  give  us  a  better  arrange- 
ment of  highways,  projected  on  a  scale  comporting  with  the 
present  and  prospective  wants  of  a  great  city.  It  will  open  to 
us  all  the  valuable  educational  institutions  of  the  city.  It  will 
benefit  those  who  pay  large  taxes,  in  their  more  consistent 
assessment  and  equal  equalization.  It  will  bring  our  navigable 
waters  to  a  more  ready  recognition  by  the  general  government. 
It  will  enhance  the  value  of  our  laud,  and  lead  to  its  general 
improvement.  It  will  furnish  an  active  stimulant  to  labor  of 
all  kinds,  and  lead  to  the  establishmeut  of  mills,  foundries, 
and  industries  of  various  sorts.  We  have  an  abundance  of 
cheap   land,  which  will   be    sought   after  by  householders   of 


436  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [18G8. 

moderate  means.  And  by  annexation  we  shall  avoid  a  great 
evil,  —  the  possibility  of  a  city  organization  of  our  own,  to  be 
delivered  from  which  every  good  citizen  should  constantly 
pray. 

"It  is  not  difficult  to  find  objections  to  every  new  under- 
taking, and  there  are,  doubtless,  some  objections  to  this  meas- 
ure. From  the  standpoint  which  we  occupy  to-day,  and  not 
looking  before  us,  it  may  seem  as  though  we  were  sufficiently 
well  off  as  we  are  ;  but  this  is  looking  at  very  short  sight,  and 
we  are  bound  in  conscience  and  in  justice  to  those  who  shall 
come  after  us,  not  to  be  content  with  a  narrow  view.  It  is  the 
future  only  that,  as  a  collective  bod^,  we  possess ;  the  past  is 
lost  to  us.  It  is  our  duty  so  to  shape  our  action  to-day  as  to 
make  that  future  an  improvement  upon  the  past.  It  may  seem 
hard  to  the  descendants  of  the  first  settlers,  large  numbers  of 
whom  still  continue  their  residence  amongst  us,  to  '  be  obliged ' 
to  surrender  the  name  of  Dorchester,  about  which  so  many 
treasured  recollections  cluster ;  to  merge  the  recorded  history 
of  the  generations  that  have  lived  and  died  upon  her  soil,  in 
that  of  a  neighboring  people,  distinct  and  separate  from  her ; 
but  the  seeming  hardship  may  be  obviated  by  the  retention  of 
the  name  by  the  new  town  to  be  erected  at  Hyde  Park ;  and 
the  people  of  that  village  certainly  could  not  find  a  better  or 
more  honorable  one,  or  one  more  worthy  of  transmission  to 
posterity. 

"But  this  will  not  be  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  the 
history  and  traditions  of  the  town ;  or  of  the  sacred  places  in 
which  the  fathers  lie  buried ;  or  of  the  relics  and  memorials, 
illustrating  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  town,  which  their 
descendants,  with  so  much  patient  industry,  have  gathered 
together.  The  territory  would  always  be  known  as  the  precinct 
of  Dorchester,  and  continue  to  be  remembered  as  the  seat  of 
one  of  the  earliest  and  most  distinguished  settlements  of  our 
Pm-itan  ancestors.  So  with  the  ancient  religious  societies. 
Nothing  would  be  lost  of  their  existing  records,  or  of  the 
respect  in  which  they  are  now  held  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  much 
gained  by  the  wider  spheres  of  usefulness  which  would  be 
opened  to  them." 


1SG9.]  MODEEN   TIMES.  437 

The  opposition  to  the  annexation  was  not  organized ;  but 
the  Norfolk  County  Commissioners  were  much  against  the 
movement.  A  long  argument  was  delivered  by  B.  W. 
Harris,  Esq.,  before  the  Committee  on  Towns  of  the 
Massachusetts  Legislatiu-e,  taking  the  points  of  advantage 
urged  by  the  "  annexationists,"  and  deniying  their  exist- 
ence. In  May,  1869,  the  Legislature  took  ujj  the  question. 
As  we  have  already  seen,  the  City  Council  favored  annex- 
ation, and  the  Mayor  also  approved.  Eighteen  gentlemen 
represented  the  town,  and  they  presented  a  petition  signed 
by  eight  hundred  and  sixty  "  legal  voters  of  the  town  of 
Dorchester."  After  listening  to  the  arguments  of  both 
sides,  a  majority  of  the  committee  reported  in  favor  of 
annexation ;  the  minority  still  urging  that  the  movement 
would  be  "  of  no  commercial  advantage  to  Boston,  and  of 
no  benefit  to  Dorchester.  Her  town  affairs  appear  to  be 
well  managed;  her  roads  are  in  good  condition;  her 
schools  are  among  the  best  in  the  Commonwealth ;  and 
we  fail  to  see  that  there  is  anything  in  her  local  affairs 
which  cannot  be  as  Avell  provided  for  by  the  town  as  by 
Boston,  and  with  as  great  economy." 

The  Legislature  voted  to  accept  the  report  of  the  ma- 
jority, on  the  condition  that  a  majority  of  the  legal  voters  of 
Boston  and  Dorchester  should  exjiress  themselves  in  favor 
of  it.  A  special  vote  was  taken  in  both  jjlaces  on  June 
22,  1869 ;  and  Dorchester  cast  928  votes  in  favor  of  an- 
nexation, to  726  opposed,  —  a  majority  of  202.  The 
annexation  was  therefore  confirmed,  taking  place  on  the 
first  Monday  in  January  (the  4th),  1870. 

On  December  28,  1869,  occurred  the  last  town  meeting 
of  Good  Old  Dorchester,  when  the  last  rejiorts  were  re- 
ceived from  the  selectmen,  and  votes  of  thanks  were 
extended  to  all  the  officei's.  Thus  Dorchester,  which  was 
the  first  of  the  New  England  settlements  to  establish  the 
ancient  institution  of  the  town  meeting,  transferred  it  to 


438  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1870. 

other  towns  as  she  took  up  her  new  existence  as  a  part  of 
the  city  of  Boston.  It  is  the  proud  boast  of  Dorchester, 
that,  at  the  time  of  the  annexation,  it  had  not  a  single 
pauper  within  its  ahnshouse,  and  there  was  no  licensed 
liquor  saloon  within  its  limits. 

Had  the  fears  of  those  who  opposed  annexation  been 
realized,  the  liistory  of  Good  Old  Dorchester  would  prop- 
erly have  ended  here.  Dorchester's  inchviduality  was  not 
destroyed  when  she  exchanged  her  independence  to  be- 
come the  "  ward "  of  the  city  of  Boston.  The  name 
"Dorchester"  is  to-day  as  familiar  as  if  the  town  still 
existed  under  separate  government;  and  the  mention  of 
the  name  recalls  the  ancient  historical  associations  as 
vividly  as  ever.  The  anticipations  of  the  most  sanguine 
annexationists  have  been  more  than  realized  in  the  growth 
and  development  of  Boston's  oldest  and  most  famous 
suburb. 

The  values  of  real  estate  increased  rapidly  from  1870 
to  1875,  which  was  due  to  the  real  estate  "  boom  "  wliich 
followed  the  annexation,  inflating  the  prices  of  land 
to  a  fictitious  value.  This  was  followed  by  the  inevi- 
table decrease  in  value,  which  came  from  1876  to  1879, 
and  left  real  estate  in  a  disturbed  condition,  which  re- 
quired several  years  to  restore  its  equilibrium.  Since  this 
time  the  increase  in  valuations  in  Dorchester  has  been 
steady,  and  has  been  proportionate  to  the  increase  of  the 
district  in  wealth  and  population. 

During  the  decade  from  1870  to  1880,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  their  unfortunate  condition  of  real  estate  to 
which  reference  has  been  made,  little  of  more  than  pass- 
ing interest  occurred  within  Dorchester's  limits.  Streets 
were  opened  here  and  there ;  estates  were  divided  to 
give  increased  opportunities  for  building ;  and  houses 
sprang  up,  as  if  by  magic,  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
rapidly  increasing  number  of  inhabitants.  Dorchester, 
which  had  been  gradually  filling  up  with  strangers  who 


1874.]  MODEEN   TIMES.  439 

were  attracted  by  the  numerous  advantages  offered  by  the 
town,  during  these  years  added  more  names  to  its  already 
long  list  of  residents  who  could  claim  it  only  as  the  home 
of  their  adoption.  The  old  inhabitants  perceived  more 
and  more  that  the  territory  of  their  ancestors  was  being 
taken  up  by  strangers ;  and  the  spots,  so  long  gazed  upon 
with  sacred  associations,  were  passed  by  without  arousing  a 
single  memory  by  these  near  neighbors.  It  is  not  strange 
that  some  of  the  descendants  of  the  early  fathers  should 
have  felt  it  in  their  hearts  that,  selfish  and  short-sighted 
though  it  might  be,  they  would  still  have  preferred  to 
liave  the  town  remain  as  she  was,  rather  than  increase 
by  adding  strangers,  as  a  result  of  coming  under  the  pat- 
ronage of  a  great  city. 

During  the  last  twenty  years,  the  town  has  suffered  the 
loss,  by  death,  of  several  prominent  citizens  whose  lives 
contributed  in  no  small  degree  to  the  welfare  of  the 
community  in  which  they  lived.  The  good  work  which 
they  accomplished  during  their  lifetime  fortunately  did 
not  end  with  their  lives ;  for  the  example  of  their  worth 
and  integrity  will  always  keep  alive  their  memory. 

Ebenezer  Eaton  died  August  26,  1874.  He  was  born 
June  8,  1787,  at  Meeting-House  Hill,  in  Dorchester,  on 
the  site  of  what  is  now  called  P2aton  Square,  and  his  father 
kept  a  grocery  and  general  store,  and  entertained  parties 
in  a  hall  in  the  house,  which  was  a  familiar  landmark.  He 
was  at  one  time  a  captain  in  the  militia,  and  retained  the 
title  of  "  Captain  "  until  his  death.  After  his  marriage  to 
Mrs.  Mary  Withington,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Moseley, 
they  lived  in  the  house  above  mentioned. 

In  politics  Captain  Eaton  was  a  democrat,  and  held  the 
position  of  inspector  in  the  Custom  House  many  years. 
After  his  removal  by  a  change  in  administration,  he  became 
an  auctioneer  and  appraiser,  and  held  the  office  of  select- 
man.    He  also  represented  the  town  in  the  Legislature. 


440  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1877. 

Although  Dorchester  was  always  a  strong  Republican 
town,  he  never  was  defeated  at  the  polls.  For  many 
years,  together  with  E.  H.  R.  Ruggles  and  Lewis  F. 
Pierce,  Captain  Eaton  was  a  member  of  the  "  old  board " 
of  selectmen,  which  managed  their  part  of  the  town  affairs 
with  prudence  and  discretion.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
trustees  of  the  Dorchester  Savings  Bank. 

Notwithstanding  that  Captain  Eaton  was  a  blunt,  plain, 
outspoken  man,  he  was  one  of  remarkably  good  judgment 
and  unquestioned  integrity.  He  was  a  man  of  strong 
prejudices,  but  had  a  warm  heart,  and  was  always  ready 
to  help  the  poor  and  unfortunate.  He  had  no  children, 
but  took  a  fatherly  interest  in  his  nephews.  He  is  buried 
in  the  Old  Burying-Ground  at  Upham's  Corner,  where  rest 
the  remains  of  so  many  of  his  early  friends  and  associates. 

The  following  anecdote  of  Captain  Eaton  illustrates  his 
peculiarities.  After  being  elected  to  the  Legislature  on 
the  citizens'  ticket  by  a  large  vote,  one  of  the  deacons  in  a 
certain  church  in  Dorchester  came  to  him  and  said,  "  Now, 
Captain  Eaton,  I  voted  for  you,  and  respect  you  as  a  man 
and  a  neighbor,  and  as  you  are  to  represent  the  town  in  the 
Legislature,  I  want  to  ask  you  one  favor ;  that  is,  that  you 

stop  swearing."     "  D it,"  was  the  reply,  "  my  swearing 

is  like  your  praying,  —  neither  of  us  means  anything  by  it." 

Early  in  February,  1877,  Flavel  Moseley,  an  old  Boston 
merchant,  passed  away.  Although  in  business  in  the  city, 
Mr.  Moseley  ,was  closely  identified  with  everything  con- 
nected with  Dorchester,  and  was  a  member  of  nearly  every 
committee  which  had  in  charge  the  celebration  of  events 
of  local  importance.  A  friend  says  of  him,  "  Declining  all 
political  honors,  Mr.  Moseley  was  a  man  firm  in  liis  faith 
in  our  form  of  government  and  its  progress.  Always  fond 
of  the  society  of  the  young,  his  sympathy  and  his  aid  were 
never  sought  in  vain  as  long  as  his  strength  held  out  to 
make  them  of  service."  Mr.  Moseley  was  seventy-nine 
years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death. 


VkJ      />#'\ 


444  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1878. 

E.  Rockwood  Hoar,  Hon.  George  F.  Hoar,  Hon.  Amos 
Tuck,  and  others ;  and  the  Rev.  James  Freeman  Clarke, 
and  John  G.  Whittier  wrote  poems  for  the  occasion.  Mr. 
Downer  continued  the  hxbors  in  the  interest  of  horti- 
culture which  his  father  began,  and  the  two  accomplished 
much  in  beautifying  the  town,  —  the  most  notable  work, 
perhaps,  being  the  improvement  of  the  Old  Biuying- 
Ground  by  Mr.  Downer,  Sr.  Mr.  Downer,  Jr.,  was  "a 
man  of  practical  piety,  of  sterling  sense,  of  fine  business 
ability,  and  a  benefactor  to  the  community." 

Let  us  turn  for  a  moment  to  glance  at  the  industries  of 
the  town,  which  have  done  much  to  make  it  possible  for 
Dorchester  to  assume  its  present  position.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  the  early  settlers  intended  to  make  the  town 
a  port  for  trade ;  but  the  channel  proved  poor,  and  the  land- 
ing was  difficult,  so  that  many  of  the  trading  men  moved 
to  Boston  and  Charlestown.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  fact, 
the  industries  of  Dorchester  would  require  more  space  than 
this  volume  would  allow ;  but,  wliile  limited  in  number, 
they  include  a  few  firms  whose  names  have  become  famous. 

Until  within  the  last  century  fisliing  was  a  prominent 
industry  of  the  town.  For  some  years  before  1652 
John  Holland  lived  at  Captain's  Point,  the  present  Com- 
mercial Point.  Here  he  engaged  in  cod-fisliing,  fitting  out 
vessels  which  brought  him  a  comfortable  income.  When 
he  died,  his  widow  sold  the  property,  in  1660,  to  Daniel 
Preston.  As  early  as  1634  Israel  Stoughton  petitioned  the 
General  Court  for  the  right  to  build  a  weir  below  liis  mill. 
This  was  granted  on  concUtion  that  he  would  sell  the  ale- 
wives  at  "  five  shillings  per  thousand,  and  as  much  less  as 
he  could  afford."  The  exceedingly  low  j^rice  shows  that 
alewives,  at  least,  were  plenty  in  these  early  days  . 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  last  centiuy  bass,  shad,  and 
alewives  were  taken  in  large  quantities.  At  high  water  a 
net  used  to  be  stretched  across  Gulliver's  and  Sagamore 


1878.]  MODERN   TIMES.  445 

Creeks,  and,  as  the  tide  went  out,  bass  were  taken  in 
dip-nets  in  sufficient  numbers  often  to  fill  a  boat.  Tlie 
diary  of  Colonel  Samuel  Pierce  contains  many  entries 
which  sliow  that  fish  were  verj^  plentiful.  Under  tlie  date 
of  1772,  May  2,  he  writes:  "Caught  61  shad;  May  4, 
caught  70  shad ;  May  8,  caught  560  shad ;  May  11,  cauglit 
a  very  large  haul  of  shad,  15  barrels ;  May  21,  caught  21 
bass  and  16  shad  ;  June  2,  set  our  sein  at  Pope's  Point,  and 
caught  39  bass ;  June  25,  we  made  the  largest  haul  of  fisli, 
catched  6000  shad,  mainhaden,  and  bass."  Early  in  this 
century  alewives  were  smoked  not  onlj^  for  private  use, 
but  also  to  be  sent  to  market.  Tom-cod  were  dipped  up  in 
nets  at  the  head  of  tide-water,  during  December,  in  such 
numbers  that  they  were  used  for  manure,  selling  for  five  or 
six  cents  a  bushel.  Now,  however,  shad,  bass,  and  alewives 
have  entii-ely  disappeared  from  our  waters,  and  tom-cod  is 
no  longer  sold  for  fertilizing  jjurposes.  An  unsuccessful 
attempt  was  made  by  Governor  Hutcliinson,  while  he  lived 
on  ililton  Hill,  to  propagate  oysters  in  the  river.  A  sloop- 
load  was  brought  from  Virginia,  and  planted  in  the  river, 
but  the  experiment  did  not  fulfil  expectations. 

Controversy  between  Dorchester  and  the  towns  of 
Stoughton  and  Sharon  on  the  question  of  fish,  began  as 
early  as  1746.  During  this  year  the  General  Court  was 
petitioned  to  order  fish-gates  to  be  made  in  the  dams,  so 
that  the  fish  could  pass  up  the  river.  The  people  of  Milton 
objected  seriously  to  this,  as  it  was  a  great  inconvenience 
to  be  obliged  to  stop  theii-  mills.  The  gi'anting  of  the 
petition  would  make  it  impossible  for  them  to  grind  corn 
for  about  six  weeks  every  year.  The  strong  opposition 
was  successfid  until  1791,  when  an  act  was  passed  by  the 
General  Court,  as  a  result  of  another  petition,  compelling 
Samuel  Leeds  and  Hugh  McLean  to  construct  fishways  in 
their  dams,  eiglit  feet  wide  and  within  eigliteen  inches  of 
the  mudsill.  These  were  kept  open  from  April  20  till 
June  1.     This  law  was  carried  out ;  but  the  towns  above 


446  GOOD    OLD    DORCHESTER.  [1878. 

the  dams  failed  to  realize  the  advantages  they  anticipated. 
The  waste  of  water,  however,  was  such  that  the  mills  were 
seriously  crij^pled  in  their  work,  so  that  the  owners  remon- 
strated against  the  enforcement  of  the  act. 

In  1799  a  new  dam  was  built  at  the  Lower  Falls,  and 
the  fishways  were  closed.  From  this  time  until  1805  there 
were  exciting  times  between  the  mill-owners  and  delega- 
tions from  Canton,  Sharon,  and  other  towns  above  the 
dams.  These  deputations  attempted  to  open  places  in  the 
dams,  while  the  mill-owners  and  their  workmen  turned  out 
in  full  force  to  defend  their  property.  In  1805  the  ques- 
tion was  brought  before  the  Legislature,  and  Nicholas 
Tillinghast  of  Taunton,  Eliphalet  Lord  of  Weymouth,  and 
Elijah  Turner  of  Scituate  were  appointed  a  committee  to 
investigate  the  matter,  making  such  alterations  in  the  dams 
as  they  thought  advisable.  The  expenses  of  these  altera- 
tions were  to  be  assessed  partly  on  the  owners  of  the  dams 
and  partly  on  the  towns.  After  the  alterations  thought 
necessary  by  the  committee  in  the  new  dam  were  com- 
pleted, Edmund  Baker,  a  half-owner,  refused  to  pay  the 
sum  assessed,  and  the  towns  of  Stoughton  and  Sharon 
brought  a  suit  against  him  to  compel  payment.  The  court 
decided  in  Mr.  Baker's  favor,  however,  and  the  costs  which 
the  two  towns  had  to  pay  were  so  far  in  excess  of  all  pos- 
sible profit  from  the  fishways,  that  discretion  was  consid- 
ered the  better  part  of  valor,  and  their  jealous  eyes  were 
turned  in  other  tlirections. 

In  1850  bluefish  made  their  appearance  near  the  moutli 
of  the  Neponset  River,  and  were  taken  in  large  numbers ; 
and  other  fish  were  abundant  in  the  river.  It  is  with  a 
sense  of  satisfaction  that  the  author  learns  that  the  Nepon- 
set River  was  once  plentifully  stocked  with  fish ;  for  time 
has  not  yet  completely  obliterated  the  memory  of  one 
whole  day  Avhen,  as  a  boy,  he  tramped  up  and  down  the 
banks  of  the  river,  oifering  the  most  tempting  inducements 
to  the  unaccommodating  fish,  who  refused  to  reward  liis 
labors  by  even  so  much  as  a  nibble. 


1878.]  MODERX   TIMES.  447 

The  history  of  the  house  of  Walter  Baker  &  Co.  is  an 
interesting  one.  Chocolate  was  manufactured  in  the  town 
as  early  as  1765,  when  John  Hannan,  an  Irishman,  was  put 
in  charge  of  a  mill  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  iDOwder-mill 
by  Messrs.  Boies,  Wentworth,  and  Storer.  This  is  said  to 
have  been  the  first  mill  of  its  kind  in  the  British  Provinces 
of  North  America.  The  chocolate  industry  passed  through 
various  hands  until,  in  1780,  James  Baker  employed  Edward 
Preston  to  manufacture  the  article  for  him,  and  by  his 
business  energy  soon  gained  the  advantage  over  his  com- 
petitors. The  business  increased  with  astonishing  raiiicUty, 
and  it  was  soon  apparent  that  Mr.  Preston  could  not  make 
the  chocolate  fast  enough  to  meet  Mr.  Baker's  demands. 
In  1789,  therefore,  arrangements  were  made  with  Sunnier 
and  Connor  to  erect  a  mill  at  their  dam.  Mr.  Baker  put 
Nathaniel  Blake  in  charge  of  it ;  and  this  proved  satisfac- 
tory except  that  the  mill  was  too  far  away  from  Mr.  Baker's 
residence.  In  1791  he  fitted  up  part  of  David  Vose's  paper- 
mill  with  facilities  for  his  business,  and  moved  there  with 
his  son  Edmund  Baker  as  partner.  This  partnership  lasted 
until  1804,  when  Mr.  Baker  retired,  leaving  the  business 
entirely  in  his  son's  hands. 

Edmund  Baker  increased  the  business,  hiring  the  mill  in 
wliich  Hannan  fii-st  began  the  manufacture.  Two  years 
later,  he  built  a  new  mill,  and  in  1813  erected  a  granite 
building.  In  1818  Mr.  Baker  took  his  son  Walter  into 
partnership,  and  six  years  later  followed  his  father's  exam- 
ple, retiring  in  his  son's  favor.  Colonel  Walter  Baker  was 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  the  town,  being  closely 
associated  with  every  event  of  local  importance.  Upon  his 
death,  in  1852,  the  property  came  into  the  control  of  Sidney 
B.  Williams,  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Baker.  Mr.  Williams 
died  two  years  later,  and  Henry  L.  Pierce,  who  had  been  a 
clerk  both  to  Mr.  Baker  and  Mr.  Williams,  succeeded  in 
the  management  of  the  business.  Mr.  Pierce  has  shown 
himself  to  be  a  public-spirited  man,  who  has  done  much  to 


448  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1878. 

benefit  the  town.  The  "  Henry  L.  Pierce  School  "  owes  its 
elegant  building  largely  to  his  beneficence.  Under  his 
able  management  the  house  of  Walter  Baker  &  Co.  has 
now  gained  a  world-wide  name,  and  "Dorchester"  has 
become  a  household  word  in  connection  with  the  manu- 
facture of  chocolate.  The  modest  building  which  sufficed 
for  the  needs  of  the  business  in  the  last  century,  is  now 
replaced  by  a  plant  covering  more  than  forty  acres  of 
ground,  on  both  sides  of  the  Neponset  River,  on  which 
some  twenty  buildings,  including  the  great  factories,  with 
warehouses,  shops,  stables,  etc.,  have  been  erected. 

Paper-making  was  added  to  the  industries  of  the  town 
about  1728.  Mills  for  various  purposes  had  been  erected 
on  the  banks  of  the  Neponset  River  ever  since  Israel 
Stoughton  had  built  the  first  mill  in  America  in  1633  ;  but 
owing  to  losses  by  fire,  and  other  reasons,  few  of  them 
proved  profitable.  The  Sumner  family  were  early  associ- 
ated with  the  mills ;  but  when  William  Sumner  died,  in 
1836,  the  fii'm  composed  of  Edmund  Tileston  and  Amor 
HoUingswortli  came  into  possession  of  his  property.  The 
firm  had  already  come  into  possession  of  both  the  McLean 
and  Boies  Mills.     These  had  an  interesting  history. 

In  1828  Tileston  &  Hollingswoi-th  pursued  their  policy 
further,  and  purchased  the  only  remaining  mills  of  the  old 
Boies  property,  which  belonged  to  Amasa  Fuller  and  Jere- 
miah Smith  Boies  respectively.  Thus  the  mill  property 
which  was  formerly  owned  by  Jonathan  Jackson  was  again 
united,  after  having  been  separated  for  seventy-eight  years. 

The  mills  thus  early  devoted  to  the  manufacture  of  paper 
by  Tileston  &  HoUingswortli  have  been  used  for  the  same 
purpose  ever  since ;  and  the  firm  now  holds  an  enviable 
position  among  the  paper-makers  of  the  country. 

The  Putnam  Nail  Company  began  the  manufacture  of 
horseshoe  nails  at  Neponset  some  thirty  years  ago,  and  by 
degrees  has  gained  a  reputation  for  its  products  which  is 
second  to  none.     In  1860  tliirty-tliree  tons  were  manufac- 


1878.]  MODERN   TlJtES.  449 

tared  during  the  entire  year ;  to-day  nearly  ten  tons  is  tlie 
daily  production  of  the  works.  The  company  emj^loys 
between  four  and  five  hundred  hands. 

Good  Old  Dorchester  has  long  been  famous  for  the  inter- 
est it  has  taken  in  horticulture.  For  the  fii'st  twenty  years 
of  the  existence  of  the  ^Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society 
Dorchester  and  Roxbury  furnished  all  its  presidents  and 
treasurers.  The  fii'st  settlers  of  the  town  brought  with 
them  a  love  of  horticulture,  and  early  laid  out  gardens  and 
orchards.  Several  of  the  older  present  residents  of  Dor- 
chester have  boasted  the  possession  of  pear-trees  which 
have  formed  a  direct  link  between  the  past  and  to-day.  A 
glance  at  the  estates  of  the  present  century  which  have 
become  more  or  less  famous  brings  to  our  attention  those  of 
the  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  ^  the  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason 
Harris,  ^  William,  Thaddeus,  Frederick,  and  Lemuel  Clapp, 
Ebenezer  T.  Andi-ews  (the  partner  of  Isaiah  Thomas), 
Samuel  Downer,  Cheever  Newhall,  Zebedee  Cook,  Elijah 
Vose,  William  Oliver,  John  Richardson,  and  William  R. 
Austin.  Many  of  the  choice  fruits  wliich  are  now  in 
cultivation  have  gone  forth  from  Dorchester,  many  of 
them  bearing  the  names  of  Dorchester  horticulturalists,  — 
namely,  the  Downer  cherry ;  the  Andi'ews,  Frederick 
Clapp,  Harris,  Claj^p's  Favorite,  and  other  seedling  jaears ; 
the  Dorchester  blackberry,  the  President  Wilder  straw- 
berrj',  and  the  Diana  grape,  which  was  raised  just  over  the 
Dorchester  line,  in  Milton,  by  Mrs.  Diana  Crehore.  This 
grape  became  prominent  in  1843,  being  the  first  seedling 
American  grape  at  the  exhibitions  of  the  Massachusetts 
Horticultural  Society  which  was  deemed  worthy  of  notice. 
The  Clapp's  Favorite  pear,  mentioned  above,  was  greatly 
desired  by  the  Massachusetts  Agricultui'al  Club,  who 
wished  to  name  it  after  the  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  and 
to  disseminate  it  for  genei'al  cultivation.  They  offered 
Mr.  Clapp  one  thousand  dollars  for  the  control  of  it,  but 
the  offer  was  declined. 

J  See  page  462.  ^  Ante,  page  241. 


450  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1878. 

Dorchester's  greatest  debt  of  gratitude  for  its  promi- 
nence in  the  horticultural  world  is  due  to  the  Hon.  Mar- 
shall P.  Wilder.  His  estate,  on  which  his  experimental 
grounds  were  laid  out,  was  formerly  owned  by  Governor 
Increase  Sumner.  At  his  death,  in  1799,  the  estate  passed 
into  the  hands  of  his  son,  General  William  H.  Sumner, 
who  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Horticultural  Society, 
and  from  whom  it  finally  passed  into  Mr.  Wilder's  posses- 
sion. On  these  experimental  grounds  there  were  produced, 
during  the  last  fifty  years  of  Mr.  Wilder's  life,  under  his 
personal  supervision,  more  than  twelve  hundred  varieties 
of  fruits ;  and  from  thence  there  were  exhibited,  on  one 
occasion,  four  hundred  and  four  distinct  varieties  of  the 
pear.  Here  the  Camellias  Wilderi,  and  the  Mrs.  Abby 
Wilder  were  originated  by  the  art  of  hybritlization,  the 
latter  of  which  received  a  special  prize  of  fifty  dollars. 
The  Mrs.  Julia  Wilder,  the  Jennie  Wilder,  and  other 
camellias  were  also  raised  in  great  perfection;  while  from 
Mr.  Wilder's  estate  went  to  the  Boston  Public  Garden,  on 
its  foundation  in  1839,  the  entire  collection  of  green-house 
and  garden  plants. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Harris  was  a  great  lover  of  fine  fruit,  and 
said  on  one  occasion  to  Mr.  Wilder :  "  Your  exhibition  of 
pears  is  grand ;  but  there  is  one  variety  that  I  miss,  —  the 
Bon  Chretian  (the  Good  Christian).  I  shall  bring  some 
forth  from  my  garden  to-morrow." 

Zebedee  Cook,  who  served  as  the  second  president  of  the 
Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society,  some  sixty  yeai-s  ago, 
had  a  large  garden  ojiposite  the  Andrews  estate,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  then  turnpike  road,  where  he  grew,  with 
great  success,  several  kinds  of  foreign  grapes,  apricots, 
peaches,  and  pears.  Among  the  grapes  there  was  a  white 
variety  named  Horatio,  after  Mr.  Horatio  Sprague,  con- 
sul at  Gibraltar,  from  whom  Mr.  Cook  received  it.  This 
grape  is  now  popularly  known  among  famous  varieti?'" 
as  the  Nice  grape. 


1878.]  MODERN   TIMES.  451 

Cheever  Newhall  was  the  first  treasurer  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Horticultural  Society,  and  a  distinguished  culti- 
vator. On  his  estates  he  had  extensive  orchards  which 
embraced  a  large  number  of  varieties,  especially  of  the 
pear,  which  he  cultivated  with  great  success  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  1880.  Mr.  Newhall's  place  was  once  the 
lesidence  of  Thomas  Motley,  father  of  the  historian,  John 
Lotlu'op  Motley,  and  of  his  brother,  Thomas  Motley,  the 
president  of  the  Massachusetts  Society  for  Promoting 
Agriculture,  who  were  here  born.  A  coincidence  in  regard 
to  John  Lothi'op  Motley  is  that  he  was  born,  as  here  stated, 
in  Dorchester,  Massachusetts,  and  died  in  Dorchester, 
England. 

Elijah  Vose,  the  third  president  of  the  Massachusetts 
Horticultural  Society,  was  the  possessor  of  a  fine  orchard, 
in  wliicli  he  grew  several  fruits  to  great  perfection.  His 
greatest  success  was  in  producing  the  Duchesse  d'Angou- 
leme  pear. 

William  Oliver,  vice-president  of  the  Massachusetts 
Horticultural  Society,  grew  pears  and  other  fruits  which 
attracted  attention  for  their  excellence.  His  estate  be- 
came afterwards  the  residence  of  Ex-Governor  Henry 
J.  Gardner. 

An  old  garden  in  Dorchester  which  deserves  attention 
is  that  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  laid  out  first  by 
Governor  Oliver  in  colonial  times.  It  is  connected  with 
the  house  in  which  Edward  Everett  was  born,  and  is 
better  known  to  the  people  of  later  Dorchester  from  the 
number  of  choice  fruits  and  flowers  wliich  have  been  pro- 
duced there  from  seed  by  the  diligence  and  skill  of  John 
Richardson. 

William  R.  Austin,  at  one  time  treasurer  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Horticultural  Society,  had  a  pear  orchard  which 
became  celebrated  for  the  size  and  beauty  of  its  fruits, 
produced  by  pruning  the  trees  into  the  shape  of  a  wine- 
glass. 


452  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEE.  [1880. 

The  celebration  of  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary of  the  settlement  of  the  town,  which  was  held  in 
March,  1880,  it  will  be  remembered,  commemorated  the 
gathering  of  the  Church  in  Plymouth,  England,  and  the 
departure  for  America ;  while  the  second  celebration  was 
in  commemoration  of  the  planting  of  the  Church  and 
Colony  in  Dorchester,  coincident  with  tlie  settlement  of 
the  town  itself.  Under  the  modern  reckoning,  the  old 
date  (June  6,  O.  S.)  fell  upon  the  17th  of  June.  The 
weather  without,  like  the  exercises  within,  furnished  a  fit- 
ting complement  to  the  first  celebration.  The  soft,  balmy 
air  and  mellow  sunsliine  of  a  perfect  June  day  contrasted 
strongly  with  the  wintry  aspect  and  cliill  breezes  of  Easter 
Sunday. 

"  June,"  wi'ites  the  chronicler  of  the  celebration,  "  lent 
her  flowers  in  rich  profusion  for  the  decorations  of  the 
day.  Great  masses  of  mountain-laurel  hid  the  pulpit 
behind  its  glossy  leaves  and  snowy  blossoms.  Connecticut, 
so  early  founded  by  energetic  settlers  from  Dorchester, 
sent  her  fresh  greeting  of  laurel  to  blend  with  that  of 
Massachusetts.  Heavy  banks  of  roses  filled  the  air  with 
fragrance.  Among  them  was  one  from  a  bush  wliich,  tradi- 
tion says,  was  brought  over  in  the  '  Mary  and  John.'  From 
Providence  came  a  bunch  of  damask  roses,  from  stock 
brought  from  England  in  1726,  and  a  spray  of  white  roses 
from  a  bush  taken  from  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  one 
hundred  years  ago."  On  the  fronts  of  the  galleries  was 
the  conspicuous  motto,  wrought  in  evergreen,  "  God  be 
with  us  as  with  our  fathers ;  "  and  on  either  side  of  the 
pulpit  the  figures  "  1630-1880."  A  large  basket  of  flowers 
was  suspended  from  the  centre-piece  of  the  aucUtorium. 
The  vestry  was  hung  with  pictures  and  sketches  of  Dor- 
chester, England,  kindly  loaned  by  the  Rev.  Edward  G. 
Porter. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  events  of  the  celebration 
was  the  reception  of  a  telegram  from  the  mayor  of  Dor- 


1880.]  MODERN   TIMES.  453 

Chester,  England,  conveying  the  affectionate  greeting  of 
the  mother  town.  The  message  arrived  at  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  just  before  the  services  began,  and  was 
received  with  great  applause.     It  read  as  follows :  — 

"  Old  Dorchester  sends  cordial  greetings  to  New  Dorchester 
upon  its  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary,  and  warmly 
reciprocates  its  affectionate  attachment." 

Among  the  relics  displayed  were,  the  study-chair  of  John 
Eliot,  "  apostle  to  the  Indians,"  now  in  the  custody  of  the 
Fii-st  Parish ;  a  copy  of  the  Rev.  John  White's  "  Way  to 
the  Tree  of  Life,"  jjublished  in  1647,  the  property  of 
William  B.  Trask  ;  and  a  model  of  the  chair  in  the  Town 
Hall  of  Dorchester,  England,  in  which  Judge  Jeffrej-s  sat 
while  presiding  at  the  Bloody  Assize,  A.  d.  1658. 

The  morning  exercises  included  an  invocation  by  the 
Rev.  Fi-ederick  Frothingham ;  prayer  by  the  Rev.  E.  N. 
Packard ;  Scripture  selection  by  the  Rev.  Charles  A. 
Humjihreys ;  singing  of  Psalm  90 ;  sermon  by  the  pastor, 
the  Rev.  Samuel  J.  Barrows ;  original  ode,  by  Miss  Eliza 
T.  Clapp ;  closing  prayer,  b}-  the  Rev.  Warren  C.  Wilson  ; 
singing  Psalm  One  Hundred  and  Seven,  from  the  old  Bay 
Psalm  Book,  and  benediction  by  the  Rev.  George  A. 
Thayer. 

After  the  morning  service,  the  guests  of  the  day  were 
escorted  to  Lyceum  Hall,  where  a  boimtiful  collation  was 
sei'ved.  At  half-j)ast  two  the  exercises  were  again  trans- 
ferred to  the  First  Parish  Church,  where  Thomas  J.  Allen, 
the  chairman  of  the  committee,  introduced  the  various 
speakers. 

Governor  John  D.  Long  said  :  — 

"  I  cannot  forget,  standing  here  speaking  for  the  Common- 
wealth, that  with  all  the  faults  of  our  ancestors,  —  which  might 
have  been  drawn  more  distinctly,  and,  I  think,  should  have 
been, — we  owe  to  them  the  foundations  of  this  material  prog- 
ress and  advancement.    We  owe  to  them  this  progress  in  higher 


454  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1880. 

and  greater  things,  —  religious  liberty,  freedom  of  speech  and 
thought  and  action,  which  is  limited  only  by  our  mutual  rights. 
We  owe  it  to  them  that  Massachusetts  to-day  is  a  State  with 
such  a  form  of  government  that  she  really  governs  herself,  — 
a  commonwealth  with  a  people  so  brave,  so  educated,  so 
founded  on  principle  and  character,  that  they  govern  them- 
selves. And  so,  while  we  do  not  forget  the  great  advantages 
we  possess,  and  the  great  gain  we  have  made,  we  shall  also 
do  well  if  we  maintain  our  ancestors'  standard  of  high 
principle." 

Hon.  Marsliall  P.  Wilder  was  introduced,  as  aptly  illus- 
trating a  remark  made  by  Swift,  that  "whoever  could 
make  two  ears  of  corn  or  two  blades  of  grass  to  grow  upon 
a  spot  of  ground  where  only  one  grew  before,  would  de- 
serve better  of  mankind  and  do  more  essential  service  to 
his  country,  than  the  whole  race  of  politicians  put  to- 
gether." Portions  of  Mr.  Wilder's  remarks  are  herewith 
given,  as  drawing  a  different  side  of  Good  Old  Dorchester 
from  that  so  ably  discussed  by  the  preceding  speakers :  — 

"Dorchester,  with  her  widespread  landscape,  her  noble  hills, 
her  towering  heights,  looking  down  on  the  same  old  ocean  that 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  brought  our  fathers  to  these 
shores,  has  ever  been  memorable  in  the  history  and  annals  of 
our  nation  1  Her  noble  heights  and  her  beautiful  scenery  are 
scarcely  less  memorable  in  historic  interest  than  the  Capitoline 
hills  of  old  Rome,  or  those  of  Boston.  On  this  spot  were  the 
homes  of  Warham,  Maverick,  Mather,  Harris,  Codman,  and 
other  godly  ministers  who  have  succeeded  them,  each  of  whom 
honored  his  profession,  and  was  a  blessing  to  the  world. 
Here,  too,  and  near  by,  was  the  home  of  Hancock,  Warren, 
Otis,  the  Adamses,  the  Quincys,  and  other  illustrious  cham- 
pions of  human  freedom.  Yonder  is  Bunker  Hill  and  Charles- 
town,  and  near  by  oiu-  own  Dorchester  Heights,  where  the  first 
great  blow  was  struck  that  closed  the  American  Revolution, 
and  where  General  Washington  encamped  with  his  army  on 
that  memorable  night  in  March,  1776,  as  Mr.  Everett  said,  on 
this  very  spot,  '  with  the  holy  stars  for  his  camp-fires,  and  the 


1880.]  MODEKN   TIMES.  455 

deepening  shadows  of  night  looped  up  by  the  hands  of  God  to 
the  four  corners  of  the  sky,  for  the  curtain  to  his  tent.' 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart, 
for  alluding  to  me  in  connection  with  the  cultivation  of  the 
soil.  For  threescore  years  and  ten,  aye,  more,  I  have  been 
importuning  Nature  to  disclose  the  secrets  of  her  wonder-work- 
ing power  by  which  she  strews  the  earth  with  living  stars 
scarcely  less  brilliant  and  numerous  than  the  glittering  hosts 
above ;  and  she  has  revealed  to  me  some  of  those  secrets. 
She  has  given  me,  from  the  rough  and  rocky  soil  of  Dor- 
chester, many  a  luscious  fruit  and  many  a  fragrant  flower, 
which  have  been  distributed  through  this  land,  and  which  will 
live  to  bless  the  world  long  after  he  who  produced  them  shall 
have  been  buiied  in  the  bosom  of  mother-earth. 

Dr.  George  E.  Ellis  was  the  next  speaker,  and  the  ven- 
erable president  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society 
paid  the  following  tribute  to  the  town :  — 

"  So,  with  the  meeting-house,  parish,  church,  represented 
here,  the  history  of  the  town  and  early  generations  is  iden- 
tified. It  is  a  most  rich  and  instructive  history,  —  knit  in  with 
the  sort  of  incidents  and  events  which,  seeming  trivial,  and  of 
merely  local  concern  as  they  transpire,  are  found  afterward  to 
have  been  impulses  moving  to  conspicuous  measures  and  high 
principles  of  truth  and  duty.  That  history  is  starred  and  beau- 
tified by  the  nobleness  and  virtues  of  men  and  women,  trained 
here  for  all  the  sei-vices  to  country  and  home,  sacrifices  for 
posterity,  care  for  children,  and  all  the  sacred  toils  inspired  by 
a  deep  piety  and  a  lofty  integrity.  Nor  is  there  lacking  in 
your  history  the  element  of  rich  romance,  stern,  pathetic,  ex- 
citing, fond,  and  gentle,  without  help  from  the  fictions  of  the 
poet." 

When  Joseph  Leeds,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia,  was  intro- 
duced, he  preceded  Ms  remarks  by  a  request  that  all  those 
persons  who  were  present  at  the  anniversary  fifty  years  ago 
should  rise  ;  and  in  response  about  thirty-five  members  of 
the  audience  stood  up.     The  Rev.  Gowen  C.  Wilson,  of 


456  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1880. 

Windsor,  Conn.,  representing  the  colony  jjlanted  by  the 
early  settlers  of  Dorchester,  spoke  of  the  attachments  of  the 
child  to  its  parent. 

Among  the  other  speakers  were  Hon.  William  Everett, 
the  Rev.  Edward  Everett  Hale,  John  Langdon  Sibley, 
librarian  of  Harvard  College,  and  the  Rev.  E.  G.  Porter, 
of  Lexington.  The  exercises  of  the  day  closed  by  singing 
the  hymn  "  America."  As  the  chronicler  of  the  event 
wrote  :  "  Thus  ended  a  day  which  will  be  long  remembered 
in  Dorchester  from  the  gratefid  memories  and  the  genial, 
patriotic,  and  Christian  sentiments  it  awakened." 

Letters  exjiressing  regret  at  their  inability  to  be  present 
were  received  from  General  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  Hon.  Robert 
C.  Wintln-op,  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  Hon.  Charles 
Francis  Adams,  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  President  Charles 
W.  Eliot,  and  others. 

On  June  13,  1881,  Deacon  Ebenezer  Claj^p,  who  for 
forty  years  was  clerk  of  the  First  Parish,  and  for  twenty- 
seven  years  deacon  of  the  church,  passed  away.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  familiar  figures  of  the  town.  Universally 
beloved  for  his  sterling  character,  universally  admired  for 
his  laborious  endeavors  to  preserve  the  early  records  of 
his  native  town,  and  universally  respected  for  his  fidelity 
in  all  he  undertook.  Deacon  Clapp's  death  left  a  vacancy 
in  the  town  wliich  never  has  nor  can  be  filled.  A  friend 
says  of  him :  — 

"  The  memorial  slab  on  the  gate  of  the  Old  North  Burying- 
ground  of  Dorchester,  bears  this  inscription  :  — 

•Deacon'  Ebenezer  Ci.app,  1881.' 

"  He  was  a  descendant  of  Nicholas  Clapp,  who  came  to  Dor- 
chester 'about  the  year  1633.'  He  was  a  genuine  fruit  of  the 
Puritan  tree,  with  the  virtues  of  the  race,  but  without  their 
faults :  strong  and  decided  in  his  opinions,  j'et  tolerant  of  those 
of  others ;    of  stern  integrity,  but  of  a  gentle  nature ;  aud,  to 


1881.]  MODERN   TIMES.  457 

quote  the  quaint  words  of  an  old  writer,  '  of  a  guileless  heart 
and  a  spii'itual  simplicity  that  would  be  ornamental  in  a  child.' 

"  His  life  was  not  an  eventful  one.  He  was  best  known  as 
an  antiquarian,  and  as  the  author  of  a  portion  of  the  '  History 
of  Dorchester'  (1859),  and  the  genealogy  of  the  Clapp  familj'. 
He  has  also  left  in  manuscript  a  history  of  the  first  Dorchester 
church.  As  an  antiquary,  he  was  distinguished  for  the  extent 
and  acciu'acy  of  his  knowledge,  and  for  his  honesty  in  record- 
ing.    His  statements  were  accepted  as  authority. 

"  He  was  no  mere  antiquary;  he  had  the  true  spirit  of  the 
historian.  His  ancestors  were  to  him,  not  stilted  personages  of 
the  distant  past,  but  human  beings  of  flesh  and  blood.  With 
him  the  past  stood  up  before  the  present.  With  him  it  was  a 
work  of  love  to  record  the  vii'tues  of  the  old  Puritans.  He 
acknowledged  then-  faults,  but  reverently  covered  them  with  the 
mantle  of  his  charity.  Of  all  the  names  on  that  memorial  slab 
will  be  found  that  of  no  nobler  man  than  Ebenezer  Clapp." 

Tlie  Rev.  S.  J.  Barrows,  in  lii.s  sermon  at  the  funeral 
exercises  of  Dea.  Clajij),  paid  the  following  tribute  to  his 
memory :  — 

"  Seventy-two  years  ago,  April  24,  1809,  Ebenezer  Clapp 
was  born  in  the  town  of  Dorchester.  His  place  of  birth  was 
but  a  short  distance  from  the  home  where  he  died.  Deacon 
Clapp's  family  history  may  be  traced  right  back  to  the  old 
Puritan  stock.  He  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Nicholas  Clapp, 
who  was  born  in  England  in  1612,  and  who  probably  came  to 
Dorchester  in  1633,  as  his  name  is  found  on  the  records  of  the 
town  for  that  year.  Nicholas  Clapp  was  a  cousiu  of  Roger, 
who  came  over  in  the  'Mary  and  John'  in  1630.  Deacon 
Clapp  was  born  in  the  lap  of  fortune,  the  very  best  fortune  a 
man  can  have, — the  fortune  of  a  sturdy,  moral,  intellectual, 
and  physical  constitution.  His  early  education  was  conducted 
in  the  little  schoolhouse  near  the  place  of  his  birth. 

"No  memorial  of  Deacon  Clapp  would  be  at  all  complete, 
or  even  natural,  which  did  not  include  his  delicate,  rich,  and 
delightful  humor.  He  was  as  thorough  a  Puritan  as  Nicholas 
Clapp,  his  ancestor,  or  as  Oliver  Cromwell  himself,  but  he  was 


458  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTEK.  [1881. 

not  one  of  the  straight-laced  variety.  The  genial,  the  incon- 
gruous, and  the  cheerful  side  of  life  was  promptly  perceived  by 
him ;  and  the  sunbeam  that  fell  upon  his  own  heart  was  sure 
to  be  reflected  in  some  other  heart.  The  genial,  warm  stream 
of  humor  in  Deacon  Clapp's  nature  never  dried  up.  It  was 
very  refreshing  in  his  later  years,  and  always  kept  him  young. 

"  It  was  for  his  tastes  and  his  work  outside  of  his  business 
relations  that  he  was  most  widely  known.  He  seemed  to 
inherit  Noah  Clapp's  profound  interest  in  Dorchester.  It  was 
his  meat  and  his  drink  to  study  its  late  and  early  fortunes,  to 
trace  the  stream  of  individual  life  which  were  confluent  in  its 
history.  He  was  the  prime  mover  in  organizing  the  Dorchester 
Historical  and  Antiquarian  Society  ;  the  first  meeting  was  held 
at  his  house,  and  he  was  corresponding  secretary  for  thirty- 
five  years.  He  published  the  '  History  of  Dorchester,'  pre- 
pared by  a  committee  of  that  society,  and  had  a  large  share 
in  the  compilation  of  the  work.  For  a  great  many  years  he 
devoted  liimself  to  the  collection  of  facts  concerning  the 
genealogy  of  the  Clapp  family  in  America.  His  remarkable 
energy,  industry,  and  enthusiasm  in  these  pursuits  is  seen  in 
the  '  Clapp  Memorial,'  which  is  a  monument,  not  only  to  the 
great  Clapp  family,  but  to  the  fidelity,  patience,  and  conscien- 
tiousness of  the  compiler.  His  '  Recollections  as  a  Parish 
Clerk,'  and  other  historical  articles  would  make  another,  and, 
to  the  general  public,  perhaps  the  most  interesting  of  the  three. 
His  memory  was  like  a  series  of  pigeon-holes,  where  facts  were 
carefully  labelled  and  stored  away,  ready  for  reference ;  his 
judgment  was  good ;  his  patience  and  industry  in  research 
were  uutmng ;  he  was  conscientiously  accurate,  and  his  percep- 
tion of  great  principles  was  not  inferior  to  his  perception  of  facts. 

"  His  strong  religious  nature  and  his  historic  sense  com- 
bined to  create  a  great  interest  in  the  history  of  this  church 
(First  Parish,  Unitarian)  and  parish.  We  all  know  how  thor- 
oughly he  was  versed  in  all  its  traditions,  and  for  how  many 
years  he  assisted  by  his  assiduous  services  in  two  most  im- 
portant offices  to  maintain  its  dignity  and  unblemished  repute." 

Dr.  Erasmu.s  D.  Miller,  a  prominent  physician  and  sur- 
geon of  the  town,  died  July  5,  1881.     Dr.  Miller 


1881.]  MODERN   TIMES.  461 

his  jii-actice  in  Dorchester  in  1843,  where  he  continued  in 
his  profession  until  his  death.  A  fellow-member  of  the 
Dorchester  Medical  Club  writes  of  him :  — 

"  Dr.  Miller's  personal  appearance  was  striking.  Of  slender 
make  and  medium  height,  dressed  with  scrupulous  nicety,  his 
long,  snow-white  han  and  beard,  and  full,  keen  blue  eyes,  made 
a  figure  not  soon  forgotten.  A  quick  sense  of  the  ludicrous, 
the  shrewdest  knowledge  of  human  nature,  a  power  of  rapid 
observation,  strong  common-sense,  an  unusual  ability  to  adapt 
himself  to  any  society  in  which  he  might  find  himself,  rather 
than  wide  reading  or  scientific  research,  made  him  rare  good 
company." ' 

St.  Mary's  Church  suffered  in  1885  a  similar  loss  to 
that  of  the  First  Parish  four  years  previously,  by  the 
death  of  another  member  of  the  Clapp  family.  John 
Pierce  Clapp  was  born  in  Dorchester  February  12,  1803, 
and  died  May  28,  1885.  He  was  confirmed  in  1842  by 
Bishop  Griswold,  and  was  one  of  the  early  promoters  of 
St.  Mary's  parish.  For  almost  forty  years  he  was  chosen 
to  be  a  warden  of  the  parish,  and  occupied  the  office  of 
senior  warden  for  tliirty-five  consecutive  years.  The  fol- 
lowing extracts  are  taken  from  a  commemorative  sermon 
preached  at  St.  Mary's  Church  May  31,  1885:  — 

"Under  whatever  phase  we  consider  his  character,  whether 
in  respect  to  its  inner  and  spiritual  qualities,  or  to  its  external 
and  social  relations,  we  may  trace  in  both  the  controlling  in- 
fluence of  the  two  ideas  which  early  ruled  him,  —  duty  and 
responsibility.  Whether  as  husband  or  father,  as  friend  or 
citizen,  as  soldier  or  town  officer,  as  vestryman  or  warden,  his 
entire  nature  seemed  to  be  keenly  sensitive  to  the  demands  of 
duty  and  active  in  the  discharge  of  his  responsibilities. 

"  Regular  in  his  attendance  upon  divine  sen'ice,  loyal  to  his 
town  and  country,  tender  and  courteous  in  his  manner,  wise  in 
council,  honorable  in  his  dealings,  simple  in  his  tastes,  an 
ardent  observer  and  lover  of  nature,  a  man  of  deep  religious 

'  Boston  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal,  1881,  vol.  ii.  pp.  384-385. 
26 


462  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1885. 

feeling,  he  has  long  filled  .a  place  in  our  society  alike  honorable 
and  honored.  By  the  members  of  the  vestry  he  will  long  be 
remembered  for  the  old-time  dignity  and  uniform  courtesy  with 
which  he  presided  over  its  deliberations. 

"The  parish  in  general  will  miss  the  sight  of  his  slender 
form  and  venerable  face  as  he  passed  through  the  aisles, 
gathering  the  alms  of  the  worshippers  so  regularly  during  the 
long  term  of  his  office.  By  his  death  the  rector  has  lost  one 
whom  he  venerated  as  a  father  and  loved  as  a  friend. 

"His  kind  words,  good  deeds,  and  wise  counsels  will  come 
to  mind  at  odd  moments  ;  and  all  these  will  testify  to  his  hav- 
ing been  in  all  his  relations  faithful.  I  know  of  no  tribute  to 
his  memory  more  deserved,  no  trait  of  his  character  more 
prominent,  no  award  which  he  would  have  more  highly  prized 
than  this.  In  whatever  relation  he  sustained,  he  was  faithful, 
— '  faithful  unto  death.'  Satisfied  with  a  long  life,  he  has 
now  entered  into  rest.  Having  in  many  ways  showed  him  his 
salvation,  God  has  at  length  permitted  this  faithful  servant,  — 
another  aged  Simeon,  —  to  depart  in  peace." 

The  death  of  Hon.  Marshall  P.  Wilder,  December  16, 
1886,  removed  one  of  Dorchester's  best-known  adopted 
sons.  He  was  born  in  Rindge,  N.  H.,  September  22,  1798, 
where  he  early  became  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
In  1852  he  established  himself  as  a  merchant  in  Boston ; 
but  in  his  career  as  a  successfid  business  man  he  lost  none 
of  liis  love  for  agriculture  and  horticulture.  He  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Societj', 
and  served  as  president  of  the  association  from  1840  to 
1848.  He  also  initiated  the  organization  of  the  State 
Board  of  Agriculture,  and  assisted  in  the  establishment  of 
the  State  Agricultural  College  and  of  the  United  States 
Agricultural  Society.  That  his  conspicuous  ability  and 
integrity  was  fully  recognized  by  his  fellow-citizens  is 
sufficiently  proved  by  the  numerous  positions  of  public 
and  private  trust  to  which  he  was  called,  and  which  he 
always  worthily  filled.  His  long  services  in  connection 
with  the  Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society  were  duly 


1886.]  MODERN   TIJIES.  463 

recognized  by  that  body,  which,  uiion  his  retirement,  pre- 
sented him  with  an  elegant  silver  pitcher,  and  caused  his 
portrait  to  be  placed  in  its  hall. 

In  1839  he  was  induced  to  serve  for  a  single  term  in  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature  as  a  representative  of  the  town 
of  Dorchester.  In  1849  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Gov- 
ernor Briggs'  council,  and  the  year  following  a  member  of 
the  senate  and  its  president ;  and  at  the  time  of  Iiis  death 
he  was  the  oldest  ex-president.  In  1860  he  was  the  mem- 
ber for  New  England  of  the  national  committee  of  the 
"  Constitutional  Union  Party,"  and  attended,  as  chairman 
of  the  Massachusetts  delegation,  the  national  convention 
in  Baltimore,  where  John  Bell  and  Edward  Everett  were 
nominated  for  president  and  vice-president  of  the  United 
States. 

The  death  of  Thomas  J.  Allen,  August  31,  1887,  re- 
moved another  of  the  familiar  figures  of  the  later  life  of 
Good  Old  Dorchester.  Mr.  Allen  was  born  in  Boston 
January  31,  1819,  and  went  directly  from  school  into 
business.  He  was  married  in  1851,  and  made  his  home  in 
Dorchester  from  that  time.  During  liis  thirty-five  years' 
residence  in  Dorchester  Mr.  Allen  filled  many  positions  of 
responsibility  and  honor.  He  was,  as  a  friend  said  of  him, 
■'  a  true  citizen,  a  man  to  be  trusted,  one  who  acted  from 
conscientious  motives  and  religious  principle."  Mr.  Allen 
was  always  closely  identified  with  the  First  Parish ;  for 
more  than  twenty  yeai-s  serving  on  its  standing  committee, 
and  for  half  that  period  holding  the  position  of  chairman. 

On  June  23,  1889,  the  town  celebrated  the  two  huncb-ed 
and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  the  first 
public  school  in  Dorchester.  An  account  of  the  exercises 
is  contained  in  a  preceding  chapter;  but  the  following 
poem,  written  for  that  occasion  by  IMr.  Hezekiah  Butter- 
worth,  and  read  by  Prof.  George  W.  Blish,  belongs  to  the 
liistory  of  the  town  rather  than  to  that  of  the  school.  It 
is,  therefore,  given  here  in  full :  — 


464  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER. 

THE   MARY  AND   JOHN. 

It  was  Thanksgiving  Day,  and  the  sea-meadows  lay 
In  long  russL't  curves  'round  old  Dorchester  Bay ; 
The  sturdy  oak  mansions  had  opened  their  halls, 
The  chimneys  had  smoked  on  the  ^Mystic  and  Charles, 
And  Grandfather  Minot  looked  out  on  the  sea  — 
The  last  of  the  Dorchester  Pilgrims  was  he  — 
And  he  leaned  on  his  cane,  and  he  said,  "  They  are  gone, 
The  Pilgrims  who  sailed  on  the  '  ]Mary  and  John,' 

That  old  Thanksgiving  Day, 

Into  Dorchester  Bay" 

On  the  settle  he  sat,  and  gazed  on  the  sea. 
And  questioning  Thankful  stood  there  at  his  knee; 
The  blue-birds  had  gone  from  the  gentians  blue. 
And  white  clouds  of  gulls  o'er  the  white  waters  flew. 
■'  Go.  Thankful,  and  bring  me  the  Bible,"  he  said ; 
And  then,  where  the  Israelites  murmured,  he  read. 
Then  gazed  on  the  sea.     "  They  are  gone,  all  are  gone. 
The  Pilgrims  who  came  on  the  '  JNIary  and  John,' 

That  old  Thanksgiving  Day, 

Into  Dorchester  Bay." 

"  The  Israelites  murmured  for  Egypt,"  he  said. 

'Gainst  his  locks,  silver  white,  pressed  a  golden-tressed  head. 

And  he  read  the  blue  eyes,  and  some  strange  stories  told 

Of  Massasoit's  feast  on  the  Thanksgiving  old ; 

Of  the  Psalm  Day  for  Liitzen ;  then  gazed  on  the  sea  — 

"  They  longed  for  the  bondage  of  Egypt,"  said  he, 

"  And  looked  back  to  the  past.     They  are  gone,  all  are  gone. 

The  Pilgrims  who  came  on  the  '  Mary  and  John,' 

That  old  Thanksgiving  Day, 

Into  Dorchester  Bay.'' 

"  Fifty  times,  Father  Blinot,  you  say  you  have  seen 
The  white  islands  change  into  islands  of  green ; 
Fifty  times  in  the  elms  seen  the  orioles'  wings. 
And  heard  the  red  woodpeckers  number  the  springs. 
I  love  the  strange  tales  of  the  Pilgrims  of  yore. 
And  of  those  who  first  landed  on  Dorchester's  shore. 
How  they  sang  on  the  sea !     They  are  gone,  all  are  gone, 
The  Pilgrims  who  sailed  on  the  '  Mary  and  John,' 

On  that  old  summer  day, 

Into  Dorchester  Bay." 


1889.]  MODERN   TIMES.  465 

"  I,  too,  love  the  places  where  good  has  been  done, 
For  the  field  blossoms  long  that  has  victory  won ; 
I  love  old  Point  AUerton's  headlands  of  pine, 
And  the  oak-shaded  beaches  that  Dorchester  line. 
'T  was  there,  off  the  Bay,  on  summer's  first  morn, 
That  our  anchor  was  dropped  from  the  '  JMary  and  John,' 
Near  yonder  green  isles.     They  are  gone,  all  are  gone, 
The  Pilgrims  who  came  on  the  'Mary  and  John,' 

On  that  fresh  summer  day, 

Into  Dorchester  Bay. 

"  The  western  winds  blew  through  horizons  of  calm. 

And  sweet  o'er  the  waves  rose  young  Maverick's  psalm ; 

There  dropped  the  white  sails,  and  the  anchor  was  cast. 

And  we  knelt  down  to  God  round  the  motionless  mast, 

And  our  thanksgiving  made,  and  psahns  followed  the  prayer, 

And  the  birds  sang  with  us  on  the  spars  in  the  air. 

'T  was  our  Thanksgiving  Day  !     They  are  gone,  all  are  gone, 

The  Pilgrims  who  sang  on  the  '  Mary  and  John,' 

With  the  land  birds  that  day. 

In  old  Dorchester  Bay." 

"  But,  grandfather,  listen  :  The  islands  turned  gray. 

And  the  north  winds  came  down,  and  the  ice  filled  the  bay; 

Of  food  there  was  little ;  the  women  lay  low 

With  fever  and  hunger ;  men  wan<lered  through  snow 

To  buy  from  the  Indian  a  bushel  of  corn ; 

And  returned  not  the  sails  of  the  '  INIary  and  John.' 

And  what  did  you  then  ?     They  are  gone,  all  are  gone, 

Who  sailed  'neath  the  flag  of  the  '  Mary  and  John.' 

What  did  you  that  day, 

By  drear  Dorchester  Bay  ? 

"You  know  that  the  sad  heart  turns  homeward  in  pain, 
That  murmured  the  Hebrews  for  Egypt  again, 
And  I  have  a  question  to  ask  of  you  here. 
On  this  to  our  homes  and  old  memories  dear: 
Did  my  mother,  whose  grave  now  the  gentians  enfold, 
E'er  long  for  old  England,  and  Dorchester  old  ? 
And  did  you  ever  murmur,  as  those  who  are  gone. 
Who  sailed  on  the  deck  of  the  '  I^Iary  and  John,' 

From  the  home  lands  away, 

Far  from  Dorchester  Bay?  " 


466  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTEK.  [18S9. 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  asked  me  that  question  to-day, 

And  my  lips  shall  speak  truly  by  Dorchester  Bay. 

A  true  life  has  no  secrets,  but  open  it  lies. 

As  the  lips  of  the  sea  and  the  smiles  of  the  skies. 

No ;  the  dark  winter  's  passed  and  the  snow  changed  to  dew. 

And  the  blue-birds  sang  sweet  'mid  the  violets  blue, 

And  they  never  looked  back,  those  pioneers  gone. 

They  never  looked  back  for  the  '  Mary  and  John,' 

In  life's  darkest  day 

By  lone  Dorchester  Bay. 

"  All  places  are  pleasant  where  good  has  been  done, 
Where  freedom  and  faith  have  their  victories  won, 
And  your  mother  was  thankful  for  that  summer  day 
That  brought  us,  the  Pilgrims,  to  Dorchester  Bay. 
'T  was  she  named  you  Thankful,  one  white  winter  morn ; 
May  you  never  look  back  for  the  '  Mary  and  John  1 '  " 
His  tears  fell  on  her  hair.     "  They  are  gone,  all  are  gone. 
The  Pilgrims  who  sailed  on  the  '  Jlary  and  John,' 

That  first  Thanksgiving  Day, 

Into  Dorchester  Bay." 

They  gazed  on  the  sea,  and  the  white  gulls  flew  by, 
And  the  twilight  of  fire  left  to  ashes  the  sky, 
The  woods  were  all  silent,  the  voiceless  winds  stayed. 
Till  the  bell  of  Neponset  rang  out  o'er  the  shade, 
And  solemn  and  slow  was  the  bell's  mellow  tone ; 
On  the  still  air  resounded  each  stroke,  deep  and  lone ; 
And  its  voice  seemed  to  say,  "  Gone,  gone,  all  are  gone; 
Gone  the  Pilgrims  who  sailed  on  the  '  Mary  and  John,' " 

As  its  tones  died  away 

Over  Dorchester  Bay. 

Oh,  let  us  be  thankful  for  heroes  like  these, 
Who  warred  with  the  storms  on  the  land  and  the  seas; 
Whose  faith,  overcoming  the  world  and  its  guile, 
Ne'er  turned  from  its  course  to  life's  palm-shaded  Nile  ; 
Who  held  that  the  hopes  of  the  future  outshone 
The  treasures  of  fortune,  the  smiles  of  the  throne. 
Give  thanks  for  such  men  on  the  Thanksgiving  morn, 
Such  heroes  as  sailed  on  the  "  Mary  and  John." 

Let  the  bells  ring  to-day 

Around  Dorchester  Bay. 


1890.]  MODERN   TLMES.  467 

Dr.  George  M.  Reed,  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the 
younger  physicians  of  the  town,  died  in  February,  1890. 
He  was  a  graduate  of  Brown  University  and  of  the 
Harvard  [Medical  School.  After  sjiending  a  year  in  Eu- 
rope, he  began  to  practise  medicine  in  Dorchester  in  1881, 
occupying  Dr.  Miller's  office  on  the  Upper  Road  until  he 
built  his  house  on  the  corner  of  Tremlett  and  Wasliington 
Streets  in  1884.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Dorchester 
Medical  Club ;  and  was  a  man  of  unassuming  manner,  but 
of  much  sound  sense,  being  unusually  successful  and 
beloved  for  one  so  young. 

Oliver  Hall,  a  life-long  resident  of  Dorchester,  died  this 
same  year.  He  was  one  of  the  selectmen  of  the  town  from 
1840  to  1855 ;  he  was  town  treasurer  for  ten  years  ;  and 
he  represented  the  district  in  the  State  Legislatme  during 
the  years  1846-47,  being  a  member  of  the  Whig  party. 
He  was  prominent  in  all  events  which  concerned  the  town, 
and  served  in  all  of  his  responsible  positions  with  marked 
fidelity  and  zeal. 

The  name  of  Mrs.  Walter  Baker  will  long  be  remem- 
bered in  Dorchester,  not  only  because  of  her  delightful  per- 
sonality, but  also  for  the  many  acts  of  benevolence  wliich 
she  performed.  She  was  married  to  Mr.  Baker  in  1840,  and 
first  lived  in  Boston ;  subsequently,  however,  her  husband 
pui'chased  the  tine  estate  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and 
Park  Streets,  in  which  she  resided  until  her  death  in  1891. 
Rev.  Edward  G.  Porter,  writing  of  her,  says :  — 

"  Having  lost  her  four  children  in  early  life,  she  drew  to  her- 
self a  large  number  of  friends  in  such  a  hospitable  manner 
that  she  was  never  at  a  loss  for  companions  all  the  rest  of  her 
life.  Her  guests  incUided  both  the  rich  and  poor,  the  old 
and  the  young,  the  cultivated  and  the  unfortunate.  "With  a 
rare  magnetism  and  the  broadest  syinpathy  she  attracted  per- 
sons of  every  name  and  station  from  near  and  from  far.  Greek, 
Italian,  Bulgarian,  Japanese,  African,  and  Indian  visitors  have 
sat  at  her  table.   .   .   .  When  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  broke 


468  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [18'JO. 

out  Mrs.  Baker  opened  her  house,  and  furnished  quantities  of 
material  for  the  women  of  Dorchester  to  make  into  clothing 
for  the  volunteers.  She  visited  the  army  hospitals,  and  gath- 
ered a  large  number  of  books  for  the  Soldiers'  Free  Library  at 
Washington.  She  had  a  strong  character,  an  independent 
mind,  a  discriminating  judgment,  and  a  boundless  charity." 

During  this  same  year  also  occurred  the  death  of  Hiram 
W.  Blanchard,  one  of  Dorchester's  oldest  and  best-known 
citizens.  Mr.  Blanchard  was  especially  prominent  as  an 
anti-slavery  advocate,  and  was  an  influential  member  of  the 
Dorchester  Anti-Slavery  Society,  which  has  already  been 
referred  to.  He  was  an  active  business  man,  and  together 
with  Asa  Robinson,  in  1832,  landed  and  sold  the  fii'st  cargo 
of  coal  in  Neponset.  He  was  a  frequent  contributor  to 
the  newspapers,  and  the  articles  over  his  initials  were 
always  of  interest  and  value.  He  was  a  man  of  wide 
information,  and  a  most  genial  companion. 

Within  the  last  few  3'ears  the  social  advantages  of  Dor- 
chester have  been  improved  by  the  formation  of  strong 
organizations  for  that  purpose.  The  scope  of  these  clubs, 
and  the  object  of  their  existence,  may  be  seen  from  the 
following  brief  sketches  of  their  history. 

The  Old  Dorchester  Club  was  incorporated  in  1890  for 
"  the  promotion  of  acquaintance  and  social  intercouse 
among  the  residents  of  Dorchester."  The  club,  upon  its 
organization,  hired  a  building  upon  Robinson  Street ;  but 
it  was  found  later  that  the  building  and  location  were  not 
adequate  to  the  wants  of  its  members.  In  the  autumn  of 
1891,  therefore,  an  effort  was  made  to  increase  its  member- 
ship} with  a  view  to  buying  land  and  building  a  larger 
house ;  and  this  resulted  in  its  present  membership  of  225 
active  members  (the  limit),  and  twenty  non-resident  (un- 
limited) members.  The  commodious  club-house,  which  is 
located  at  the  corner  of  Pearl  and  Pleasant  Streets,  was 
erected  in  1892.    The  present  officers  are  as  follows :  Pres- 


1892  ]  MODERN   TIMES.  469 

ident,  William  B.  Bird;  Vice-Presidents.  Thomas  F. 
Temple,  William  Garrison  Reed,  George  R.  Nazro ;  Treas- 
urer, John  P.  May;  Secretary,  Joseph  G.  Grush. 

The  Central  Athletic  Club  was  organized  in  1892  for 
athletic  and  social  purposes,  Frederick  K.  Folsom  being 
one  of  its  most  enthusiastic  advocates.  The  formation  of 
the  club  is  that  of  a  corporation,  —  its  capital  stock  of 
$15,000  being  divided  into  tlu-ee  hundred  shares,  which  are 
subscribed  for  by  the  members.  A  well-ajipointed  club- 
house has  been  erected ;  and  three  tennis-courts  have  been 
built,  wMch  are  second  to  none  in  the  State.  The  present 
officers  are  as  follows :  President,  Frank  A.  Foster ; 
Vice-President,  John  M.  E.  Morrill;  Secretary,  T.  F. 
Jenkins ;  Treasurer,  Frederick  K.  Folsom. 

The  Dorchester  Woman's  Club  was  organized  in  1892, 
and  its  success  from  its  inception  has  shown  that  it  has 
met  a  long-felt  want  in  the  town.  The  early  meetings 
were  called  together  by  Mrs.  Clara  M.  Ripley,  and  were 
addressed  by  Mrs.  Judith  Smith,  of  the  Home  Club,  East 
Boston.  Its  purpose  was  to  promote  moral,  social,  and 
intellectual  culture  in  the  community.  Starting  with  a 
nucleus  of  twenty-eight  members,  the  club  soon  reached  its 
limit  of  three  hundred,  and  has  had  for  some  time  a  large 
waiting-list.  During  its  first  year  of  existence  it  succeeded 
in  establishing  itself  upon  a  firm  basis,  and  its  meetings 
were  of  interest  and  instruction  to  its  members.  Among 
those  who  addressed  the  club  were  Mrs.  Julia  Ward  Howe, 
Dr.  Salome  Merritt.  I\Irs.  Kate  Gannett  Wells,  Mr.  Henry 
A.  Clapp,  Mrs  Ednah  D.  Cheney,  Mrs.  Minerva  B.  Tobey, 
and  Mrs.  Clara  Erskine  Clement  Waters.  The  club  is 
non-sectarian,  and  includes  women  from  all  parts  of  Dor- 
chester. The  present  officers  are  as  follows:  President, 
:\rrs.  Ellen  Dana  Orcutt ;  Vice-Presidents,  Mrs.  Emily  A. 
P'ifield,  Mrs.  Julia  K.  Dyer,  Mrs.  Clara  M.  Ripley;  Record- 
ing Secretary,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Eddy ;  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary,  Mrs.  Alice  Taylor  Jacobs ;    Treasurer,   Miss  Mary 


470  GOOD    OLD   DOKCHESTER.  [1892. 

Brant  Little  ;  Directors,  Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Beau,  Miss  Annie 
A.  Emerson,  Mrs.  Minnie  Fowle,  Mrs.  Emeline  C.  Ricker, 
Miss  Charlotte  A.  Vinson,  Miss  Florence  Everett,  Mrs. 
Minnie  Young,  Mrs.  Clara  E.  Badlam,  Mrs.  Royal  Whiton, 
Mrs.  Emily  H.  Bush,  Mrs.  Ellen  E.  C.  Blair,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth P.  Soule. 

The  first  legal  meeting  of  the  Codman  Club  was  held 
July  19, 1892,  and  a  constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted, 
the  name  being  chosen  in  honor  of  the  Rev.  John  Codman. 
The  erection  of  the  club-house  at  once  commenced  upon 
the  location  on  Adams  Street,  Dorchester,  near  the  conver- 
gence of  Minot,  Marsh,  Granite,  and  Codman  Streets.  The 
club  first  occupied  its  house  Christmas,  1892,  —  its  formal 
opening  and  dedication  occurring  on  February  24,  1893. 
The  club  is  not  cosmopolitan,  but  a  neighborhood  affair, 
and  was  organized  upon  a  somewhat  original  i^rinciple,  as 
is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  wives  and  lady  friends  of 
members  are  at  all  times  welcome,  and  have  the  full  use  and 
enjoyment  of  all  parts  of  the  house,  in  common  with  mem- 
bers. Experience  has  proved  the  wisdom  of  this  course,  as 
the  club  has  been  a  large  factor  in  the  social  life  of  the 
community.  The  club  is  this  year  a  member  of  the  Massa- 
chusetts Amateur  Bowling  League.  It  has  at  present  one 
hundi'ed  members,  and  the  present  officers  are  as  follows : 
President,  J.  G.  Young,  Jr. ;  Vice-Presidents,  James  E. 
Hall  and  H.  S.  Carruth;  Treasurer,  R.  A.  Pepper;  Secre- 
tary, B.  T.  Wheeler ;  Directors,  the  above,  and  F.  L.  Pierce, 
Otis  Eddy.  F.  M.  Wood,  W.  A.  Roundy,  C.  E.  Tileston. 

On  April  10,  1893,  a  meeting  was  held  for  the  purjjose 
of  organizing  the  Dorchester  Historical  Society.  Two 
years  previous  to  this  time  an  act  had  been  approved  for 
the  incorporation  of  the  society,  but  nothing  further  was 
done  at  that  time.  The  organization  was  successfully 
effected,  however,  at  the  meeting  referred  to  above,  and 
William  H.  Whitmore  was  elected  president,  Thomas  Mair 
treasurer,  and  Willis  B.  Mendum  secretary.     The  board  of 


1893.]  MODERN   TIMES.  471 

directors  consists  of  John  J.  May,  James  H.  Stark, 
Elbridge  Smith,  Thomas  W.  Bicknell,  Herbert  M.  Manks, 
and  D.  Chauncy  Brewer.  The  society  is  now  firmly  estab- 
lished with  twenty-five  active  members,  and  meetings  are 
held  every  month.  One  of  the  by-laws  provides  that 
women  shall  be  admitted  ujjon  equal  terms  with  the  men. 

Mrs.  Lucy  Stone,  the  most  prominent  woman  who  has 
claimed  Dorchester  as  her  home,  died  October  18,  1893. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  a  farmer,  and  her  early  struggles 
and  subsequent  successes  in  advancing  the  position  of 
woman  won  for  her  a  name  which  will  be  long  remem- 
bered. The  best  account  of  her  life  and  work  is  given  by 
her  daughter.  Miss  Alice  Stone  Blackwell,  who  writes  :  — 

"Little  Lucy  grew  up  a  healthy,  vigorous  child,  noted  for 
fearlessness  and  truthfulness,  a  good  scholar,  and  a  hard 
worker  in  the  house  and  on  the  farm,  sometimes  driving  the 
cows  barefooted  by  starlight,  before  the  suu  was  up,  when  the 
dew  on  the  grass  was  so  cold  that  she  would  stop  on  a  flat 
stone  and  curl  one  small,  bare  foot  up  against  the  other  leg 
to  warm  it.  Every  one  on  the  farm  worked.  The  mother 
milked  eight  cows  the  night  before  Lucy  was  born,  and  said, 
regretfully,  when  informed  of  the  sex  of  the  new  baby,  '  Oh, 
dear !  I  am  sorry  it  is  a  girl.     A  woman's  life  is  so  hard  ! ' 

"  The  little  girl  earlj'  became  indignant  at  the  way  she  saw 
her  mother  and  other  women  treated  by  their  husbands  and  by 
the  laws ;  and  she  made  up  her  childish  mind  that  those  laws 
must  be  changed.  Her  father  helped  his  son  through  college ; 
but  when  his  daughter  wanted  to  go,  he  said  to  to  his  wife,  '  Is 
the  child  crazy  ? '  The  young  girl  had  to  earn  the  money  her- 
self. She  picked  berries  and  chestnuts,  and  sold  them  to  buy 
books.  For  j'ears  she  taught  district  schools,  studying  and 
teaching  alteruatelj'.  She  soon  became  known  as  a  successful 
teacher.  Once  she  was  engaged  to  teach  a  '  winter  school ' 
which  had  been  broken  up  b_y  the  liig  boys  throwing  the  master, 
head  foremost,  out  of  the  window  into  a  deep  snow-drift.  As 
a  rule,  women  were  not  thought  competent  to  teach  the  winter 


472  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1893. 

term  of  school,  because  then  the  big  boys  were  released  from 
farm  work  and  were  able  to  attend.  In  a  few  days  she  had 
this  ditHcult  school  in  perfect  order ;  and  the  big  boys  who  had 
made  the  trouble  became  her  most  devoted  lieutenants ;  yet  she 
received  only  a  fraction  of  the  salary  paid  to  her  unsuccessful 
predecessor.  At  the  low  wages  received  by  women  teachers,  it 
took  her  until  she  was  twenty-five  to  earn  the  money  to  carry 
her  to  Oberlin,  then  the  only  college  in  the  country  that  ad- 
mitted women.  Crossing  Lake  Erie  from  Buffalo  to  Cleveland, 
she  could  not  afford  a  stateroom,  but  slept  on  deck  on  a  pile  of 
grain  sacks,  among  horses  and  freight,  with  a  few  other  women 
who,  like  herself,  could  only  pay  for  a  '  deck  passage.' 

"At  Oberlin  she  earned  her  way  by  teaching  in  the  prepar- 
atory department  of  the  college,  and  by  doing  housework  in 
the  ladies'  boarding  hall  at  three  cents  an  hour.  Most  of  the 
students  were  poor;  and  the  college  furnished  them  board  at 
one  dollar  a  week.  But  she  could  not  afford  even  this  small 
sum ;  and  during  most  of  her  course  she  cooked  her  food  in  her 
own  room,  boarding  herself  at  a  cost  of  less  than  fifty  cents  a 
week.  She  had  only  one  new  dress  during  her  college  course, 
—  a  cheap  print,  —  and  she  did  not  go  home  once  during  the 
four  years ;  but  she  thoroughly  enjoj'ed  her  college  life,  and 
found  time  als'o  for  good  works. 

"  Her  first  public  speech  was  made  during  her  college  course. 
The  colored  people  got  up  a  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of 
West  Indian  emancipation,  and  invited  her  to  be  one  of  the 
speakers.  The  president  of  the  college  and  some  of  the  pro- 
fessors were  invited  to  speak.  She  gave  her  address  among 
the  rest,  and  thought  nothing  of  it.  The  next  day  she  was 
summoned  before  the  ladies'  board.  They  represented  to  her 
that  it  was  unwomanly  and  unscriptural  for  her  to  speak  in 
public.  The  president's  wife  said  :  '  Did  you  not  feel  yourself 
very  much  out  of  place  up  there  on  the  platform  among  all 
those  men  ?  "Were  you  not  embarrassed  and  frightened  ? ' 
'  Why,  no,  Mrs.  Mahan,'  she  answered.  '  Those  men  were 
President  Mahan  and  my  professors,  whom  I  meet  every  day 
in  the  classroom.  I  was  not  afraid  of  them  at  all ! '  She  was 
allowed  to  go  with  an  admonition. 


1893.]  MODERN   TIMES.  475 

"  She  travelled  over  a  large  part  of  the  United  States.  In 
most  of  the  towns  where  she  lectured  no  woman  had  ever 
spoken  in  public  before,  and  curiosity  attracted  immense 
audiences.  The  speaker  was  a  great  surprise  to  them.  The 
general  idea  of  a  woman's  rights  advocate,  on  the  part  of  those 
who  had  never  seen  one,  was  a  tall,  gaunt,  angular  woman, 
with  aggressive  manners,  a  masculine  air,  and  a  strident  voice, 
scolding  at  the  men.  Instead,  they  found  a  tiny  woman  with 
quiet  unassuming  manners,  a  winning  presence,  and  the 
sweetest  voice  ever  possessed  by  a  public  speaker.  This  voice 
became  celebrated.  It  was  so  musical  and  delicious  that  per- 
sons, who  had  once  heard  her  lecture,  hearing  her  utter  a  few 
words,  years  afterward,  on  a  railroad  car  or  in  a  stage  coach, 
where  it  was  too  dark  to  recognize  faces,  would  at  once  ex- 
claim unhesitatingly  :   '  That  is  Lucy  Stone  ! '  " 

We  have  now  come  to  the  point  where  we  may  gain  an 
excellent  idea  of  the  present  prosperity  of  the  town  by  a 
comparison  of  the  condition  of  its  various  institutions  to- 
day with  their  condition  in  years  gone  by.  This  compar- 
ison will  show  that  the  progress  in  every  department  has 
been  steady  and  rajsid.  Let  us  glance  fii'st  at  the  territory 
itself. 

Area.  —  We  have  seen  that  until  1662,  when  Milton  was 
set  off  as  a  separate  township,  Dorchester  was  bounded  by 
Boston,  Roxbury,  Dedliam,  Wrentham,  Taunton,  Bridge- 
water,  and  Braintree  (the  present  Quincy).  The  town 
extended  from  Dorchester  Point,  as  South  Boston  was  then 
called,  out  as  far  as  the  Castle  (the  present  Fort  Indejjen- 
dence)  and  to  within  one  hundred  and  sixty  rods  of  the 
Rhode  Island  line.  We  have  seen  how  IMilton,  Wrentham. 
Stoughton,  Dedham,  Sharon,  Foxboro',  Canton,  Dorchester 
Heights,  Washington  Village,  and  Hyde  Park  were  set 
aside  from  the  mother  town.  We  have  seen  how  Dorches- 
ter set  aside  six  thousand  acres  of  land  for  the  use  of  the 
Indians  at  Ponkapoag,  and  how  she  later  lost  six  thousand 
acres  more  tlii-ough  blunders  of  the  surveyors.     In  spite  of 


476  GOOD   OLD   DORCHESTER.  [1893. 

this,  the  limits  of  the  town  have  never  yet  been  reached  by 
its  ever-increasing  inhabitants ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they 
have  proved  elastic  enough  to  include  a  large  jjroportion 
of  the  overflow  from  the  crowded  city. 

Dorchester  to-day  contains  one-fifth  of  the  territory  in- 
cluded by  the  city  of  Boston.  Its  extreme  length  from 
northeast  to  southwest  is  about  two  miles  and  a  half,  and 
from  northwest  to  southeast  about  two  miles.  The  total 
amount  of  territory  covered  by  the  city  of  Boston  is 
23,707  acres,  of  wliich  Dorchester  contains  5,614  acres. 
The  town  is  bounded  by  South  Boston  on  the  north ;  by 
Dorchester  Bay  on  the  east ;  on  the  south  by  the  Neponset 
River,  which  separates  it  from  Milton ;  and  by  Hyde  Park 
and  West  Roxbury  on  the  west. 

Hon.  Thomas  W.  Bicknell,  in  an  interesting  series  of 
articles  on  the  subject  of  "New  Dorchester,"  recently 
published  in  the  "  Dorchester  Beacon,"  gives  the  following 
description  of  the  geographical  character  of  the  town. 
He  says :  — 

"The  surface  outline  of  Dorchester  is  very  irregular,  diver- 
sified with  hills  aud  valleys,  with  a  marked  elevation,  extend- 
ing from  north  to  south,  along  or  near  the  Hue  of  Washington 
Street  on  an  average  of  over  cue  hundred  feet  above  the  sea 
level,  and  at  certain  points,  as  at  Codman  Hill  and  Mt.  Bow- 
doin,  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height.  Mt.  Ida, 
Meeting-House  Hill,  Wellingtou  Hill,  Jones's  Hill,  Ashmont, 
and  Pope's  Hill  are  spurs  or  independent  elevations  of  the 
range  of  elevated  laud  proiecting  southward  from  the  High- 
lands and  extending  in  a  northwesterly  direction  into  and 
across  Brookline.  On  the  south  the  valley  of  Neponset  marks 
the  bed  of  the  old  glacial  plough  that  wrought  on  the  hills  and 
levelled  them  from  the  heights  of  Mt.  Washington  perhaps  to 
the  present  elevation  of  the  Blue  Hills.  Stony  Brook  Valley 
is  the  natural  drainage  of  the  section  west  of  Washington 
Street,  and  north  of  Codman  Hill,  while  the  Neponset  River 
and  Dorchester  Bay  receive  the  waters  to  the  south  and  east  of 
the  same  elevations.    Since  that  early  day  of  '  Old  Dorchester ' 


1893.]  MODEKN    TIMES.  477 

the  glaciers  have  levelled  the  hills  and  filled  the  valleys  in  great 
measure ;  and  a  rich  alluvial  deposit  and  vegetable  mould,  suit- 
able for  the  growth  of  great  forests  or  the  productions  of  the 
farm,  the  orchard,  and  the  garden,  have  covered  the  rocks  and 
clay  beds  which  underlie  our  deep  black  soil. 

"With  such  a  contour,  Dorchester  could  not  be  other  than 
a  fine  residence  section,  contiguous  as  it  is  to  a  large  and  grow- 
ing city,  having  iu  its  near  neighborhood,  and  in  delightful 
prospect  on  the  southern  horizon,  the  Blue  Hills,  the  highest 
and  most  pictm-esque  range  of  hills  of  Eastern  Massachusetts. 
And  it  is  only  iu  Dorchester,  on  the  north,  that  this  range  can 
be  called  distinctively  blue  ;  for  if  one  approaches  them  so  near 
as  the  Milton  line  at  Nepouset,  or  recedes  as  far  as  the  State 
House  in  Boston,  they  cease  to  be  Blue  Hills  and  become  only 
green,  gray,  brown,  or  other  colored  elevations,  and  only  com- 
mon hills.  To  see  the  Blue  Hills  in  all  their  glorj'  one  must 
stand  near  the  site  of  the  old  Gibson  Mansion  on  Franklin 
Park  at  the  summit  of  Blue  Hill  Avenue,  or  on  the  summit  of 
Mt.  Bowdoin,  or  at  a  distance  of  about  four  miles  from  the 
hills  at  any  point  on  the  heights  of  Dorchester." 

Another  recent  writer  says  of  Dorcliester :  — 

"  Its  close  proximity  to  the  ocean,  with  refreshing  breezes 
throughout  the  summer  months,  superb  views  from  its  elevated 
points  of  Boston  Bay,  and  harbor  of  unrivalled  beauty,  com- 
bining the  freedom  and  delights  of  the  country  with  the  advan- 
tages and  privileges  of  the  city,  pure  invigorating  air,  good 
drainage,  —  all  these  features  are  steadily  drawing  the  most 
desirable  class  of  home  builders.  Most  of  its  territory  is 
occupied  by  handsome  and  attractive  private  residences,  with 
extensive  grounds,  beautiful  lawns,  and  shade  trees  around 
them;  while  the  stores  are  clustered  around  certain  centres, 
such  as  Upham's  Corner,  ]\It.  Bowdoin,  Field's  Corner,  Ash- 
mont,  Lower  Mills,  Mattapan,  Neponset,  and  on  Washington 
Street  at  the  terminus  of  the  Grove  Hall  and  Dorchester  branch 
of  the  West  End  electrics.  One  main  line  and  two  branches 
of  steam  roads  run  throughout  the  entire  length  of  Dorchester, 
—  the  New  York  and  New    England  railroad  on  the  west,  the 


478  GOOD   OLD   DOKCHESTEK.  [1893 

Milton  branch  of  the  Old  Colony  railroad  on  the  east,  and  the 
Hhawnmt  branch  through  the  centre,  giving  in  all  about 
eighteen  stations,  with  over  thirty  trains  each  way  daily,  on  the 
New  York  and  New  England  railroad,  and  nearly  as  many  on 
the  Old  Colony  branches,  taking  from  eleven  to  eighteen  or 
twenty  minutes  to  the  different  stations.  The  Grove  Hall  and 
Dorchester  electric  cars  run  on  Washington  Street  to  the  ter- 
minus one  block  beyond  Norfolk  and  Centre  Streets,  and 
another  line  on  Dorchester  Avenue  to  Milton,  while  a  third 
line  turns  off  at  Field's  Corner  and  goes  to  Neponset.  The 
time  by  electric  cars  from  Franklin  Street  to  terminus  is  about 
forty-eight  minutes.  A  suburban  railway  is  in  contemplation 
that  will  cross  the  Dorchester  district  to  Newton." 

Population.  — •  The  growth  of  the  jjopulation  of  the  town 
has  been  remarkable.  In  1800  the  number  of  inhabitants 
was  2,3-17 ;  in  1850  it  was  a  little  less  than  8,000 ;  and  in 
1892  it  was  not  less  than  40,000.  This  has  been  due  in  no 
small  degree  to  the  natural  attractions  of  the  town ;  but 
the  increase  could  never  have  been  so  rapid  but  for  the 
excellent  opportunities,  as  already  mentioned,  for  transpor- 
tation by  steam  and  electricity.  The  annexation  of  Dor- 
chester to  Boston,  in  1870,  made  it  advantageous  for  the 
wealthy  landholders  to  make  Brookline  or  Milton  their 
home,  owing  to  the  larger  rate  of  taxation  imposed  under 
the  new  regime.  This  has  lessened  the  number  of  citizens 
possessed  of  great  wealth ;  so  the  inhabitants  may  be 
classed,  as  a  whole,  as  the  well-to-do  people  of  moderate 
means,  who  build  unostentatious  but  substantial  homes, 
leading  useful,  active  lives,  and  belonging  to  that  class  of 
citizens  who  form  the  backbone  of  the  State. 

Schools.  —  The  growth  of  the  educational  advantages 
offered  by  the  town  is  one  of  the  most  noticeable  features 
in  its  history.  The  establishment,  in  1639,  of  the  first  free 
Ijublic  school  supported  by  public  taxation  may  be  con- 
sidered a  matter  of  history.  This  was  followed  by  a  grad- 
ual increase  in  scholars  and  schoolhouses  until,  in  1792, 


1893.]  MODERN    TIMES.  479 

there  were  552  children  who  received  the  benefits  of  the 
schools.  One  hunched  years  later,  in  1892,  the  number  of 
pupils  attending  the  public  schools  alone  was  5,519 ;  wliile 
many  more  attended  the  various  private  institutions  of 
learning.  Since  the  annexation  of  Dorchester  to  Boston, 
the  city  has  improved  the  schools,  and  has  built  excellent 
schoolhouses  ;  but  the  town  had  no  reason  to  feel  ashamed 
of  the  condition  of  its  school  department  when  it  was 
delivered  over  to  the  city  proper. 

Churches.  —  Reference  has  been  made  to  the  religious 
unity  of  Dorchester.  We  have  seen  that  until  1806  there 
was  but  one  church  and  one  creed  in  the  town ;  and  that 
in  this  First  Parish,  from  1636  to  1893,  a  period  of  two 
huncbed  and  fifty-s^even  3-ears,  there  were  but  eleven 
ministers,  —  an  average  pastorate  of  twenty-four  years. 
From  this  mother  church  sprang  offsprings,  from  which 
other  organizations  have  branched,  until  the  town  now 
contains  some  thirty  church  societies,  representing  nearly 
every  denomination. 

We  have  now  come  to  the  close  of  the  narrative  history 
of  Good  Old  Dorchester.  We  have  followed  the  first 
settlers  of  the  town  through  their  early  colonial  struggles ; 
we  have  seen  their  descendants  assist  to  thi-ow  off  the  yoke 
of  oppression,  and  enjoy  the  sweets  of  liberty ;  we  have 
watched  the  creditable  position  taken  by  the  town  in  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  ;  we  have  followed  the  early  fathers 
to  church  and  to  school,  and  have  seen  the  gradual  changes 
wluch  have  given  their  childi-en  more  enlightenment  and 
greater  opportunities ;  we  have  learned  the  history  and  the 
romance  wliich  have  become  associated  with  the  ancient 
structm-es  which  have  served  as  landmarks  year  after 
year;  and,  finally,  we  have  studied  the  more  recent 
events,  which  show  us  the  town  as  it  exists  to-day. 

From  the  narration  of  these  facts  the  reader  can  but  feel, 
as  the  Hon.  John  D.  Long  said  at  the  two  hundred  and 

27 


480  GOOD   OLD   DOECHESTER.  [189.'!. 

fiftietli  celebration  of  the  settlement  of  the  town,  that 
Dorchester  "  sprang  like  Minerva  from  the  brow  of  Jove, 
fully  equipped  and  matured."  The  first  settlers  of  the 
town  came  from  an  atmosphere  of  more  extended  learning 
and  attainments  than  did  most  of  the  early  colonizers. 
They  were  influenced  by  such  men  as  the  Rev.  John 
Wliite,  and  by  the  broad-minded  governors,  John  Endi- 
cott  and  John  Wintlirop.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that 
they  should  not  need  the  development  which  comes  from 
contact  with  and  conquest  over  people  of  superior  accom- 
plishments ;  but,  escaping  the  lowest  and  most  degrading 
phases  to  be  found  in  many  similar  enterprises,  should 
have  started  at  the  summit. 

The  Dorchester  citizen  of  to-day  may  feel  that,  —  with 
the  advances  which  have  been  made  in  every  branch  of 
science,  with  the  superior  opportunities  for  learning,  with 
the  modern  advancement,  —  he  is  far  ahead  of  his  ancestor 
who  trod  the  same  ground  more  than  two  centuries  and  a 
half  ago.  Well  may  he  feel  so ;  and  yet  let  him  remember 
that,  long  years  after  he  has  passed  away  and  is  forgotten, 
the  liistory  of  the  first  town  government  and  the  first  free 
public  school  will  keep  alive  the  memory  of  those  who  laid 
the  foundations  of  Good  Old  Dorchester. 


INDEX. 


ACKI-EAG,  John,  139. 
Adams,  Charles  Francis,  208;   E. 

F..  426;    Samuel,  129;  William,   139; 

William  T.,  201,  353,  427. 
Ahauton,  Job,  77. 

Ainsworth's  Version  of  the  Psalms,  220. 
Alcott,  Dr.  William  A.,  340. 
Allbright,  Henry  G.,  280. 
Allen,   Isaac,  139;  Joane,  62;  John,  44; 

Samuel,  139;  Samuel,  Jr.,  139;  Thomas 

J.,  45-3,  463;  Wilkes,  329. 
Almshouse,  147. 
Amorv,  Thomas  C,  208. 
Anderson,  John,  91;  .1.  B.,  419. 
Andrews,    Ebenezer   T.,    449;    Samuel, 

141;  Thomas,  44,  91;  William  T.,  51. 
Andros,  Sir  Edmond,  85 ;  overthrow  of,  88. 
"  Annals  of  Dorchester,"  195. 
Annexation,  430-439. 
Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society,  194, 

195,  199,  21.3,  429. 
Anti-Slavery  Societv,  181,  182. 
Apthorp,    Sarah  \Ventworih,    see    Mrs. 

Perez  Morton. 
"  Arbella,"  arrives  at  Salem,  30. 
Arnold,  Deacon  Eliaphaz  W.,  278. 
Artillery,  171. 
Ashburnham,  92. 
Aspiiiwall,  Thomas,  208. 
Atherington,  John,  146. 
Atherton,  Consider,   91;   Ebenezer,   139; 

Hope,  311;  Humphrev,  108;  Increase. 

234;   John,  139;  Joseph,  91  ;   Samuel, 

432. 
Atherton,  Major-General  Humphrev,  60; 

letter  from  .lohn  Eliot,  65 ;  sketch  of,  69, 

70  ;  member  of  first  school  committee, 

297,  300,  .301. 
Attleboro'.  109,  123. 
"Aunt  Sarah's  Brook,"  196. 
Austin,  William  R.,  449,  451. 


BABCOCK,  Samuel,  140. 
Badcock,  Samuel,  146:  William,  144. 
B.idlam,  Mrs.  Clara  E.,  470. 
Badlam,  General  Stephen,  149 ;  sketch  of, 
158;  signs  letter  to  First  Church,  251; 


deacon  in  Second  Church,  264;  member 
of  committee  on  schoolhouses,  3.32. 

Bailey,  Calvin,  413;  Kev.  Nathan,  277; 
Thomas  F.,  419. 

Baker,  David,  141;  Edmund,  146,  446, 
447;  Edmund  J.,  194,  195,  429;  George, 
141;  James,  146,  286,  321,  332;  James, 
Jr.,  1.39:  Kichard,  56;  Thomas,  139; 
Timnthv,  136;  Walter,  157,  184,  187, 
192,  447 ;  Mrs.  Walter,  405,  467  ;  Walter, 
&  Co.,  447  :  William.  91. 

Ball  Hughes  House,  379-389;  illustration. 

Bank,  first,  174. 

Banvard.  Rev.  Joseph,  D.  D.,  277. 

Baptist  Society,  First,  277. 

r.arn,  An  Historic,  375-377. 

Barnard  Capen  House,  356,  357;  illustra- 
tion, 137. 

Barnard,  F.  E.,  426. 

Barr,  Adam,  91. 

Barrett,  Nathaniel  Augustus,  398. 

Barrows,  Rev.  Brainard  W.,  277;  Rev. 
Samuel  J..  247,  249,  267,  350,  453,  457. 

Barrv,  Redmon,  141. 

Bartiett,  B.  F.,  426;  David  B.,  194. 

Bascomb,  Thomas,  44. 

Bass,  Rt.  Rev.  Edward,  282,  320. 

Bates,  Alpheus,  141;  Elisha,  141 :  Elisha, 
Jr.,  141. 

Baxter,  Edward  W.,  149;  G.  D.,  427;  G. 
K.,  426;  Svlvester.  67. 

Bay  Psalm-Book,  220. 

Beale,  Joseph  H.,  Jr.,  282. 

Beals,  Israel,  139;  Seth,  141. 

Bean,  Harriet  E.,  469. 

Reaumont,  James,  196. 

Belcher,  Gregorv,  67;  Moses,  146;  Sam- 
uel, 139. 

Bell,  ordered  tn  be  rung,  112;  gift  to 
church  of,  124,  240. 

'•Belle,"  the.  177. 

Belshar,  William,  91. 

Benham,  John.  39. 

Bent,  Shepherd,  146. 

Berrv,  Edward,  141. 

Bicknell,  Thomas  W.,  471,  476. 

Billings,    George   W.,   419;  Isaac,  318; 


484 


INDEX. 


John,  136,  1.39;  Lemuel,  139;  Lemuel. 

Jr.,  141;  Captain  Oliver,  136;  Richard, 

317.  ' 

Billings'  Plain,  66. 
Bird,    Aaron,    141,    146  ;   Comfort,   141 ; 

Daniel,  139  ;  Eben,  139 ;  Edward,  139 ; 

Henry,  139  ;  Henry,  Jr.,  139;  Elijah, 

139;    Edward,   Jr.,  141  ;  Isaac,    141  ; 

Jacob,    139  ;  James,  305  ;  J.  E.,  426  ; 

John,  101  ;  John,  146  ;  Jonathan,  1.39; 

Jonathan,  Jr.,  139,  324;  Joseph,  139  ; 

Lemuel,   141 ;  Samuel,  139  ;  Thomas, 

91,  234;  Thomas,   1.36  ;  William,  223; 

William  B.,  468. 
Black,  J.  T.,  427. 
Blackman,  EliaUim,  146 ;  .John,  139,  142 

143  ;  J.  H.,  427  ;  Lemuel,  146 ;  Moses, 

141;  Samuel,  1.39. 
Blair,  Mrs.  Ellen,  E.  C,  470. 
Blake,    Mrs.    Edward,    413;  Henry   N., 

419  ;    Deacon    James,    84,    285,    370  ;' 

James,   139  ;  Jonathan,  139  ;  Lenuiel' 

139  ;    Nathaniel,    139  ;    Samuel,    1.39  ; 

William,  44,  91  ;  William,  1.39;  W.  E 

419,  426. 
Blake  House,  .369,  370;  illustration,  63. 
Blake,   James,  the  Dorchester  immigra- 
tion,  22;  character  of  Captain   Clap, 
92:  Ponkapoag  set  off  from  Dorchester, 
111 ;  sketch  of  Rev.  Mr.  Danforth,  112; 
growth     of     town,     113  ;     expedition 
against  the  French,  116,  117;  injustice 
shown,    121  ;  drought    of   1749,   121  ; 
death,  123;  "Annals  of  Dorchester." 
19,5. 
Blanchard,  Hiram  W.,  468  ;  William  A., 

Blaney,  William,  141. 

Blish,  Prof.  George  W.,  463. 

Bluckman,  L.  S.,  420. 

BliieHills,  67,  74,  77. 

Bodge,  fMward,  146 ;  Rev.  George  M.,  276. 

Boies,  James,  132  ;  Jeremiah  Smith,  448. 

Bolton,  Nicholas,  240. 

Bond,  George,  310. 

Boston,  29,  35,  49,  62,  66,  78,  148,  164 
289,  290,  351. 

Ifoston  Harbor,  lirst  accurate  description 
of,  24  ;  described  bv  William  Wood,  28. 

Boston  Tea  Party,  129. 

Bostwick,  Zachariah,  141. 

Boundaries,   established,   74;  described, 

^8  ;  difficulties  concerning,  109. 
Bowdoin,  Governor  James,  304. 
Bowen,  B.  F.,  419. 

Bowman,  Rev.  Jonathan,  112,  143,  159, 
160;  sketch  of,  2.36,  237;  William,  .322. 
Boynton,  George  F.,  425.  42(1 ;  T.  S.,  4211. 
Bradford,  George  G.,  -IX-^  :  .Martin  1,.,  282. 
Bradley,  Jonathan,  iV.\:  Nalhau,  108, 139 
Bradshaw,  Aaron,  419;  J.  N.,  426. 
Bradstreet,  Simon,  88. 
Braintree,  town  of,  67,  78. 
Branker,  John,  40. 


Breck,  Edward,  44.  78. 
Brewer,  Cyrus,   432 ;  D.  Chauncy,  471  - 
Rev.  Darius  R.,278;  John,  146;  Thad- 
deus,  146. 
Briant,  John,  91. 
Bridges,  149,  1.57. 
Bridgewater,  78. 
Bridgham  House.  360. 
Brigham,  Jonathan.  360. 
Briggs,  Clement,  62. 
Brimsmead,  William.  101. 
British,  in  Boston,  132,  1.33. 
I  Brookline,  town  of.  129,  348. 
Brooks,  Rt.  Rev.  Phillips,  282. 
Brown,    Benjamin    F.,    383,    386,    389- 

David,  426;  John,  81. 
Browne,  C.  A.,  426. 
Bultinch,  Rev.  S.  G.,  203. 
Bmnpus,  Deacon  Laurin  A.,  264. 
Bunker  Hill,  Battle  of,  131,  164. 
Burr,  H.  D.,  426;  Rev.  Jonathan,  con- 
troversy with    Rev.  Richard   Mather 
57,  58;  sketch  of,  232. 
Bursley,  John,  44. 

Burying-Ground,  fence  built  around,  83- 
description  of,   283-285;   epitaphs  in. 
285-287. 
Bush,  Mrs.  Emily  H.,  470. 
Butler,  Henrv,  309. 
Butler  School,  332. 
Butt,  Richard,  91. 
Butterworth,  Hezekiah,  463. 


p ALLEY,  Peter,  91. 

^^     Cambridge,  129,  162.    See  Newton. 

Campaign  of  1840,  189-192. 

Campbell,  James,  426. 

Canada,  expedition  against,  90,  91. 

Canton,  town  of,  47,  65,  78,  375;  set  off 

from  Dorchester,  78. 
Capen,  Barnard,  40,  356,    357;  Bernard, 
1.39;    Christopher,    141;     Davis,    347; 
Ephraim,  139;  Captain  John,  40,  82 
96;  John,  141;   John,  Jr.,  139;  John, 
Jr.,  332:  Jonathan.  413;  Nahum,  283; 
Preserved,    108  ;    Samuel,    146,    264 ; 
Theophilus,  .324. 
Caps,  Isaac,  91. 
Carr,  Frank,  427. 
Carriel,  Thomas,  141. 
Carruth.  Herbert  S.,  470;  Nathan,  194. 
Carter,  Joshua,  40. 

Castle.  The,  described  by  Captain  Clap, 
59;  Roger  Clap  appointed  captain  of, 
74;  boundaries  extend  to,  78;  training 
at.  159;  burned,  164. 
Castle  Island,  59. 
Catholic  Church,  see  Si.  Peter. 
Cattle,  provision  for,  47. 
Central  Athletic  Club,  469. 
Chadwick,  S.  S.,  427. 
Chambers,  William,  146. 
Champney,  Samuel,  139. 


485 


Chandler,  William,  329;  Samuel,  91. 

Cliauning,  Rev.  William  E.,  252. 

Chaplin,  Moses,  91. 

"Charles  Carroll,"  the,  1.7:  description 
of,  177,  178;  arrival  of,  178. 

Charles  City,  Va.,  289,  290. 

Charles  River,  23,  29. 

Charlestown,  29,  36,  129,  162,  289,  290. 

Cheney,  Samuel,  324 ;  William,  91. 

"Chesapeake,"  the,  151,  152,  153. 

Chickataubut,  Josias,  chief  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts "  Indians,  31 ;  good-will 
towards  earl V  settlers,  31,  77;  contro- 
versy with  King  Philip,  77;  death  of. 


Child,  Griffin,  330. 

Chittenden,  Albert,  A.,  282. 

Clioate,    Kufus,   early   sufferings   of  the 

Puritans,  32. 
Choate,  Rufus,  427. 
Chocolate,  447-448. 

Chocolate  mill,  157,  163,  174.    ^.     ,    , 
"  Chronoloeieal  and  Topographical  Ac- 
count of  Dorchester,"  235,  242. 
Church,   essay    towards    gathering,  42; 
exercises    its    correcting    power,    48  ; 
the   corner-stone    of    the   community, 
215;    early  prominence   of    the,    215; 
customs,  216;  going  to,  217;  order  of 
services,  217;  length  of  prayers,  218, 
219;   seating  of  the  congregation,  219; 
music,  220-222;   frigid  atmosphere  m, 
222,  223;  first  meeting-house,  223;  dis- 
cussion as  to  precedence  of  church  at 
Dorchester  or  Windsor,  227,  228;  cove- 
nant    228-230;     new    meeting-house, 
233;  meeting-house  of  1678,  235  ;  meet- 
ing-house of  1743,239,240;   umty  of, 
247  ;  list  of  ministers  of  First  Parish, 
247  248;   lands  belonging  to  the,  <S70, 
271;   summary,  287-288,  471. 
Churchill,  Asaph,  432. 
Church  Records,  extracts  from,  97, 107. 
Cillev.  Mrs.  William  H.,  398. 
Civil" War,  see  7?e6Wi;on. 
Clap  [Clappl,  Abner,  139;   A.  W    426, 
David,   141;  David.  400;    David,  Jr., 
i:!9;   Ebenezer,  91, 139  ;  Ebenezer.Jr 
139     146    160,  161;   Deacon  Edward, 
ill, '248;  Edward,  141,   146;  Dr.  Ele- 
iizer,  108;  Elisha,  139;   Eliza,  T.,  453; 
Ezekiel,  141;    Ezra,    139;  Henry  A, 
184     188,   282;    Elder  Hopestill,  109, 
.306';  John,  304;  John,  141,  146;  J.  C., 
4'>7-  John  P.,  282,  461;  Jonathan,  108, 
141;  Jonathan,  Jr.,  139 ;  Deacon  Joseph, 
251    264,  268;  Lemuel,  Captain,  13b, 
.359';   Lemuel,  Jr.,  141;  Lemuel,  44J; 
Nathaniel,    139;  Nicholas    67;   Noah, 
121   147,318,319;  Richard,  51;  Sam- 
uel    37,   306;    Samuel,    141;  Samuel, 
245,  420;    Samuel,  Jr.   146;    Supply, 
141,    318;     Thaddeus,    449;    Thomas, 
141';  William,  449. 


Clapp,  Deacon  Ebenezer,  Jr.,  194,  195, 
208,  240,  245,  248,  267,  352;     sketch 
of,  456 ;    portrait  of,  459. 
Clap  House,  368-360. 
Clap,    Roger,  24,    27;    early  privations 
and  hardships,  33;   freeman,  40;   de- 
scription of  the  Castle,  59;  threatened 
invasion  bv  the  Dutch,  73 ;   appointed 
captain  of  "the  Castle,  74;  autograph, 
92;    sketch    of,    92;    death,   92  ;  me- 
moirs of,  195;  signs  petition  to  Gene- 
ral Court,  303;  lays  out  school  laud, 
304;   home  of,  358";  children  of.  358. 
Clark,  A.  C,  432  :  George,  183 ;  G.  H.,  420 ; 
Jeremiah  Tucker,  184;   Richard,  183. 
Clarke,  Bray,  44;  Joseph,  40;  Solomon, 

91;  William,  67. 
Clement,  Augustine,   40,  91,  265;    Mrs. 

Elizabeth,  265. 
Clubs,  468-471. 
Coaches,  see  Sta(/e-coaches. 
Cobb,  Moses  S.,  202,  208. 
Cobb,  Madam,  390. 
Coddington,  W.,  66. 
(■„dmanrii.b,470.  .       ,^^ 

Cudmaii  11(. use,  414-416;  illustration,  175. 
Codinau  Rev.  John,  D.D.,  description 
of  Midway,  Ga.,  100,  101;  delivers 
address,  l"69;  death  of,  199;  introduc- 
tRry  priiyer  by,  246;  sketch  of,  253; 
controversy  with  members  of  Second 
Church,  254-263;  portrait  of,  261; 
connection  with  Dorchester  Academy, 
340;  meetings  with  Webster,  391,  392; 
purchase  of  Codman  House,  414;  Cod- 
man  Club  named  for,  470. 
Codman,  Captain  John,  223,  341,371  414. 
Codman,  William  C,  arrival  of  the 
"Charles  Carroll,"  178;  presidential 
campaign  of  1840,  189-192 ;  the  Web- 
ster House,  390;  anecdote  of  Webster, 
392;  recollections  of  Dorchester  Acad- 

CoTn,'  Charles'  Carleton,  353 ;  N.  W., 
4.32,  433;  William  E.,  432;  Deacon 
Z.  E.,  278. 

Con-an,  John,  40. 

CoFe,  Nathaniel,  139. 

Cullacott  [CoUicot]  Richard,  27,  40. 

Collin,  Lemuel,  139. 

Collins,  Patrick   426. 

Collyer  [Collier]  Lemuel,  141,  146. 

Commerce  in  Dorchester,  1  ( i-l»l. 

SSi^Poh^m,  179, 180,181,  201, 

413,  414.  ^  ,„„ 

Committee  of  Correspondence,  129. 
Commoner,  360. 
Communion  Cups  264,260. 
Connor,  JI.  D.,  427 ;  Patrick,  183. 
Constables,  113. 
"  Constitution,"  the,  157. 
Continental  Congress   131, 13o,  163. 
Cook,  Zebedee,  340,  449,  450. 


48(3 


Cooke,  Aaron,  40;  William,  01. 

Coolidge,  Samuel,  139,  322. 

Cooper,  Peter,  208. 

Copper  worlds,  tirst,  196. 

Council  for  the  Safety  of  the  People  and 

Conservation  of  tlie  Peace,  88. 
"  Courier,"  the,  177,  179. 
Covenant,  Cliurch,  228-230. 
Cox,  John.  116;  Samuel,  139;  S.  H.,  426. 
Crabtree,  Jehossephat,  91. 
Cracker  Manufactory,  174. 
Crane,  David.  139;  i^benezer,  91;  Eli.'^ha, 

146;  Lemuel,    149,  32.5;  Luther,    146; 

Seth,  139;  Vose,    146;  Zebulon,    141; 

Zibe,  146. 
Crehore,  Mrs.  Diana,  449;  Samuel,  139. 
Crewhore,  John,  91. 
Crosbv,  Samuel,  139. 
Crouch,  William,  141. 
"Cruise  of  the  Juniata,"  157. 
Cushing,  Dr.  Benjamin,   340,   353,    418, 

420  ;  Joshua,  277. 
Cummins  House,  393. 
Cummins,  Maria,  393. 
Cunningham,  Rev.  Francis,  272. 
Curtice,  Richard,  57. 
Curtis,  Joseph,  91;  Philip,  .320. 
Cutler,  Deacon  Elijah,  264,  268. 
*'Cyane,"  the,  154. 
Cyson,  Edward,  146.  * 


DALE,  C.  F.,  427. 
Dame  schools,  308. 
Danforth,  Dr.  Elijah,  114,  317;  Samuel, 

317;  Dr.  Thomas,  168. 
Danforth,  Rev.  John,  salary  guaranteed 

by  the  town,  107;  death,  112:   sketch 

of,  112,  235,  2.36. 
Daniels,  Ebenezer,  146. 
Darby,  Prince,  140. 
Davenport,  Amasa,  348 ;    Benajah,  139 ; 

Charles,  101;   Daniel,  222;    Ebenezer, 

108;  George.    1-39;   Isaac,    139;    Isaac 

Shaw,  139";  James,  146;  Joseph,  139; 

Josiah,  139  ;  Samuel,  139. 
Davenport,  Ensign  Ricliard,  42;   captain 

of  the  Castle,  59;  killed  by  lightning, 

73. 
Davis,    Ebenezer,    1.39,   136;  Nehemiah, 

141;  Paul,    139;  Samuel,    commercial 

hopes  of  Dorchester,  181;  Stephen,  146. 
Deacons,  215,  248,  264,  278. 
Deans,  Cunnison,  426. 
Dedhani,  town  of,  68,  78;    set  off  from 

Dorchester,  78 ;  meeting  at,  130 ;  rally 

at,  188. 
Deeble,  Robert,  40. 
De  Luce,  Francis,  1.39. 
Denison,  William.  314. 
Dennett,  T.  S..  427. 
Dennv,  Francis  P.,  426,  427;  Henrv  G., 

194'. 
Denslow,  Nicholas,  40. 


De  Ruither,  Admiral,  73. 

Deutling,  Augustus,  427. 

Dewey,  Charles  A.,  210;  Thomas,  40. 

Dexter,  Rev.  Henrv  M.,  D.  D.,  351. 

Dickens,  Charles,  389. 

Dickerman,  Benjamin,  141. 

Dimmock,  [Dimocke]  Thomas,  40. 

'•  Directorv,"  the,  adopted,  00. 

Dodge,  Mrs.  Catherine,  279;  O.  J.,  426. 

Dolbear  House,  378,  379. 

Doody,  John,  427. 

Dorchester,  first  .settlement  in  Suffolk 
County,  30;  derivation  of  name,  30; 
severity  of  the  first  two  years,  31;  first 
special  town  government  in  New  Eng- 
land established,  35  ;  arrival  of  second 
shipload,  35;  early  importance  of  the 
town,  35;  emigration  to  Windsor, 
Conn.,  36;  arrival  of  Rev.  Richard 
Mather  and  new  colonists,  30;  first 
freemen,  39;  later  freemen,  40;  refer- 
ences by  early  writers,  40,  41 ;  danger- 
ous surroundings  of  the  early  settlers, 
42;  first  warfare,  42;  distribution  of 
lands,  45;  provision  for  cattle,  47,  48; 
arrival  of  new  settlers,  48;  conflict 
with  Boston  about  Thompson's  Island, 
49,  50  ;  first  free  school  established, 
49,  289;  law  concerning  superflu- 
ities, 50,  51;  early  plan  of  the  town, 
51;  cruelty  of  early  settlers,  58;  first 
school  committee,  60;  the  "Directorv  " 
adopted,  00;  references  in  old  colonial 
records  to,  62;  the  Indians,  62,  67; 
anxieties  of  the  early  settlers,  69;  Mil- 
ton set  off  from,  70 ;  petition  for  privi- 
leges, 72,  73 ;  threatened  invasion  bv 
the  Dutch,  7.3;  boundaries  establishecl, 
74;  early  grants  of  land  to,  74-78; 
towns  set  off  from,  78;  King  Philip's 
War,  79,  80;  sufferings  of  the  peo- 
ple, 80 ;  aid  from  London  and  Dub- 
lin, 80;  close  of  colonial  times,  8.5, 
86;  transition  from  colonial  to  provin- 
cial period,  87-90  ;  expcdiiiuii  :mainst 
Canada,  90,  91;  exprditicn  t"  Smitii 
Carolina,  96,  97;  earth. piak. >  <.f  1727, 
111;  growth,  113:  arrival  of  White- 
field,  115;  expedition  against  the 
French,  116,  117;  drought  of  1749,  121: 
stand  taken  in  Revolution,  124-142; 
lists  of  soldiers  in  Revoliitinn,  Ki7-141 ; 
close  of  provincial  period,  144  ;  .Slia\'s's 
Rebellion,  145-147;  duel,  147,  148; 
annexation  of  Dorchester  Neck  to 
Boston,  148,  149;  War  of  1812,  150- 
157  ;  gale  of  181.5,  1.57 ;  two  hundredth 
anniversary,  168-170 ;  stnge-coaches, 
170,  171  ;  training  and  muster  days, 
171  :  advances  of  two  centuries,  173; 
importance  of  coninierce,  177-181 ; 
Washington  Village  annexed  to  Bos- 
ton, 183:  opposition  l.i  railroad,  192- 
194;  celebration  of  225th  anniversary. 


487 


I 


200-214;  early  prominence  of  the 
church,  215 ;  hrst  meeting-house  in, 
223  ;  religious  unity,  247  ;  celebration 
of  250th  anniversary,  248;  toniiing  of 
tlie  Second  Church,  249;  celebration  of 
250th  anniver.-arv  of  tirst  school,  w49- 
353;  earlv  homes,  355;  in  Kebelliun, 
418-42-2;  seal  adopted,  429  ;  last  town 
meeting,  437;  celebraiion  of  250th  an- 
niversary, 452-45G  ;  area,  475;  popula- 
tion, 478;  schools,  478;  churches,  479. 

Dorchester  Academy,  34U-342;  402^04. 

Dorchester,  Canada,  92. 

Dorchester  Company,  preparations  for 
emigration,  21  ;  formation  of,  27  ;  the 
landing,  27;  expedition  to  Watertown, 
29  ;  settlement  at  Mattapan,  29. 

Dorchester,  England,  letterfrom,213,214. 

Dorchester  Heights,  set  off  from  Dorches- 
ter, 78. 

Dorchester  Historical  Society,  470. 

Dorchester  Neck  [Great  Neck].  47,  62, 
fortitications  erected  on,  131,  102,  1G4; 
annexation  to  Boston,  148,  149. 

Dorchester  Point,  see  Dorchester  Neck. 

Dorchester  Proprietors,  47  ;  gilts  of  land, 
69,  107;  incorporated,  108  ;  gift  of  bell 
to  church,  124,  240. 

Dorchester  Woman's  Club,  409. 

Dove,  John,  146. 

Downer,  Samuel,  108,  449 ;  Samuel,  Jr., 
353.  432,  443. 

Draper,  Moses,  184;  Paul,  141 ;  Philip,  .324. 

Driscoll,  James,  427. 

Drown.  Rev.  E.  1,.,281. 

Duncan,  Nathaniel,  27  ;  selectman,  34  ; 
freeman,  40;  lieutenant  of  military 
company,  43;  connection  with  Town 
Records",  44 ;  signs  Church  Covenant, 
230. 

Dunmore  brothers,  170. 

Dutch,  threatened  invasion  bv  the,  73. 

Dyer,  George,  27,  39  ;  Jlrs.  Julia  K.  469. 


EALES  [Eeles],  John,  40,  .■)2,  56. 
"  Earl  of  Pmicapiig,"  47. 
Earthquakes,  111,  116. 
Enstburn.  Rt.  Rev.  Manton,  D.D.,  278, 279. 
Easton,  123. 
Eaton,  Captain  Ebenezer,  171,  191,  439- 

440  ;  portrait  of,  441. 
Eaton,  Pearson,  139. 
Eddv,  Mrs.  Marv  C,  469  ;  Otis,  470. 
Edward  Everett 'S.hnol.  347. 
Edwards,  Henrv  W.,  282. 
Eggleston,  Bigtit  [Bagoi],  ,39. 
Eli.it,  Rev.  Christ.ipher  K.,  247. 
Elifit,   Rev.  John,   the  "Apostle  to  the 

Indians,"    62;     letter    to     Maj.-Gen. 

Atherton,  65  ;  obtains  grant  of  Ponka- 

poag  Plantation  to   the   Indians,   77  ; 

death,  92;  portrait  ol.  93;  sketch  of, 

95  ;  Bay  Psalm  Book,  220. 


Eliot's  Chair,  95  ;  illustration,  95. 

Kills,  Dr.  George  E,,  changes  of  provin- 
cial period,  90  ;  remarks  at  250th  anni- 
versary, 458. 

Ellis,  Joseph,  1.39. 

Elwell,  Robert,  44. 

Emerson,  Annie  A.,  470. 

Emery,  Charles,  282. 

English,  John,  141. 

Endicott,  William  E.,  348. 

'•  Epervier,"  the,  153. 

lipiscopal  Church,  see  St.  Mary's  Church. 

Epitaphs,  in  Old  Burving  Ground,  285- 
287. 

Euins,  Richard,  91. 

Evans,  H.  A.,  426. 

Everett,  Bcnianiiri,  196;  Ebenezer,  325, 
3.30;  11. 11.  II,  r.  47(1;  Francis,  340  ;  Rev. 
Mo-.-,  ill,  -I  .  ;.  h  (if.  241 ;  Moses,  Jr., 
252,  :;_•.,  ;;  J ,  I:,  v.  Oliver,  323,  405; 
Captam  taimicl  H.,  245;  William, 
456. 

Everett,  Edward,  earlv  sufferings  of  the 
colonists,  .32  ;  nfen-'nce  to  Savin  Hill, 
57;  invited  1.. -i\ .  luMi. -^  at  Lvceum 
Hall,  187  ;  .1.  :  I  ,i  :  .  -  ;U  celebra- 
tion of  22.'ii:  I  ,iv,  200-208; 
portrait  of,  2u.", ,  pi.iin  u tiled  by,  .327; 
birthplace,  405. 

Everett  House,  405  ;  illustration,  185. 


FAIRBANKS,  Master,  347. 
Fairn,  Daniel,  139. 
Pais,  Andrew,  427. 
F'ales,  Deacon  Charles  E.,  278 ;  Deacon 

David,  278. 
Farris,  William,  139. 
Feakes  |Fookes],  Henry,  40. 
Feakes  [Feke],  Lieutenant  Robert,  74. 
Felt,  Edward,  141. 
Feniio,   Isaac,    146.   280 ;    .loseph,    146  ; 

Enoch,  139. 
Fessenden,  Jonathan,  139. 
Field,   Deacon  John  W.,   264;   Michael, 

146. 
FiHeld,  Mrs.  Emily  A.,  350,  353,  469. 
Filer,  Walter,  40. 
Fire  engine,  147. 
First  Parish  Church,  illustration,  225.  See 

Church. 
Fisheries,  whale  and  cod,  177. 
Fishing,  444-446. 
Fletcher,  Henrv,  390. 
Fling  John,  139. 
Flint.  Rev.  Josiah,  79,  82;  sketch  of,  2.34, 

235. 
Flood,  Joseph,  44. 
Flvnn,  Deacon  Jacob,  277,278. 
Fol-om.  Frederick  K..  469. 
Ford,  Thomas,  27,  39. 
Foster,  Elisha,83;  E-  C,  426;  Frank  A., 

469;    H.    C,    426;    Deacon    Ira,    278; 

John,  139;   John,  82,  312-314;  John, 


488 


Jr.,  139;  Standfast,  108 ;"  Uncle  Ned  " 
223;  William,  141. 
Fester,    Captain   Hopestill,    letter    from 
King  Philip,  "U  ;  autograph,  81 ;  death, 
81;    signs  petition  to    General  Court, 
3U3;  lays  nut  school  land,  3U4;  gift  to 
school,  301. 
Fowie,  Mrs.  .Minnie,  470. 
Fowler,    George,     171;     Stephen,     139; 

Stephen,  tertius,  139. 
Kowst,  William,  91. 

Foxboro',  town  of,  78;  set  off  from   Dor- 
chester, 78  ;  dam  built  at,  1U5. 
Fo-x,  Charles  B.,  426;  John  A.,  425;  Kev. 
Thomas  B.,  352  ;  Thomas  B.,  Jr.,  425, 
426. 
Freemen,  list  of  first,  39;  list  of  later,  40. 
"Free"    school,    significance   of   name, 

301. 
French,  the  predecessors  of  Capt.  John 
Smith,    24;    expedition   against,    116; 
retaliation  of,  119,  120,  168. 
French.  G.  H.,  427;  G.  L.,  427:  Stephen 

40.  ' 

Frothingham,  Rev.  FredericI;,  453-  Kev 

N.  L.,  207. 
Fay,  Richard,  44. 
Fuller,  Amasa,  448;  II.  A..  427. 


GALLAGIIEK,  Charles  T.,  3.50. 
Gallop,  Humphrey,  44. 
Gamsby,  John,  13!). 

Gannett,  Samuel,  174. 

Garch,  John,  146. 

Gardner,   Abner,   329;  Dr.    Henrv,  245; 
Governor  Henrv  J.,  208.  -ilO. 

i;ardner  House,  3'70-375. 

<iaskins,  W.  B.,  427. 

Gaylord     [Gallardl,    William.    27,    39; 
John,  215. 

George,  Hiram  M„349;  William,  91. 

Gibbens,  Ensign,  74. 

Gibbes,  Giles,  selectman,  35;    freeman. 
40. 

Gibson,  Christopher,  39,  304,  305. 

Gibson  Fund,  306. 

Gibson  School.  .348. 

Gilbert,  John,  44. 

Giles,  Samuel,  141. 

Gill,  Jacob,  146,  IGl,  164. 

Gillet,  Jonathan,  40. 

Girls,  education  <if,  308,  309. 

Gleason,  Edw;ird  F.,  420;  Uoswoll  348 • 
Mrs.  Koswell,  151. 

Glennen,  Rev.  Charles  F.,  283. 

Glover,  Albert  H.,  420;  Ale.xander,  139, 
146;  Ebenezer,  136;  Edward,  13R,  139- 
Edw.ard,  Jr.,  146;  Elish.a,  139;  EnoiMi, 
141;  Enoch,  Jr.,  141;  Ezra,  139;  Har- 
rison, 427;  John,  39,  44;  Josiah,  139; 
Nathaniel,  141;  Pelatiah,  321;  Ralph 
39;  Samuel,  146. 

Goeth,  Fritz,  427. 


Goff,  John,  141. 
Goffc.  John,  Jr.,  146. 
Goite  [Goyt],  John,  44. 
Goodspeed,  Captain,  171. 
Gooley,  James,  140. 
Gornell  [Gomel],  John,  56,  3o4. 
Gorton,  Samuel,  58. 
Gould,  Samuel,  328. 
Granite  Bridge,  180. 
Grant,  JIatlhew,  40. 
Granville,  itfv.  William,  'j77. 
Gr.iy,  Samuel  C,  390 ;  Key.  Thomas,  246 
Great  iNcck.  see  Durcheuer  ^^eci:. 
Green,  James,  140. 
Greene,  Gardiner,  148. 
Greenleaf,  Thom.is.  1U2. 
Greenoway  [Grenawa\-],    John,    39,    57; 
Anne,  362,  305.         "  i       >       > 

Griggs,  Samuel,  146. 
Grush,  Joseph  G.,  469. 
Gulliver,  John,  91:  Rufus,  140. 
Gulliver's  Creek,  179. 
Gunn,  Thomas,  40. 


XJALE,  Rev.  Edward  Everett,  208,  456. 
•^-^  Hall,  (Jforge.  27;  H.  W.  426- 
•Tames  E.,  470;  .lohn,  147;  Joseph,  108; 
Joseph  E.,  174;  Llovd  Bowers,  329;  Dr. 
Lyman,  100;  Nathaniel,  44;  Oliver,  184, 
4b( :  Paul,  139,  160,  237;  Peletiah,  140  ; 
Ensign  Richard,  202,  314:  Samuel,  .36; 
Solomon,  146,  287. 

Hall,  Rev.  Nathaniel,  Jr.,  182  194  203 
232,241,242;  sketch  of,  247  ;por'trait: 
2(  3  ;  remarks  at  funeral  of  Rev.  Richard 
1  ike,  275:  chairman  school  board,  352, 

Hamuiuiid.  DL-accu  Daniel,  278. 

Huiicnik.  .John,  12.5,  126. 

Haiiuaii,  John.  447. 

H.aiinum,  William    44 

Harding,  Willi.im,  147. 

"■/,»'•  ,;l-„?-'  *-'■  ■■*■  B-'  *27;  School, 

348;  William,  140;  William,  340. 
Harris,    Rev.  Thaddeus   Mason.  D    D 
147,  157,  169,  194,  204,  235;  sketch  of, 
241,  242  ;  portrait  of,  243  :  sermon  bv 
246;  signs  letterto  Second  Church,  2.52; 
connection  with  horticulture,  449,  450. 

Harrison  Square,  early  names  for,  56. 

Hart,  C.  E.,  427;  Edmund,  40;  Thomas 
N.,  3.52. 

Hartford,  Conn.,  69. 

Harvard  College,  105. 

Hatoli,  ThnnKis  40. 

Haihnriio.  William,  selectman,  .35;  free- 
man, 411. 

Haw,.s,  ,I„l,n,  141. 

Hawkiiiv,  ( 'aptain  Thomas,  sketch  of,  56  ; 
autograph,  56, 

Haydeii,  John,  40;  William,  140. 

Hayter,  A.  W.,  279. 

Hayward,  Jacob,  141. 

Healey,  Nathaniel,  141. 


489 


Heaton,  Benjamin,  328. 

Hendlev,  Jeremiah,  427. 

Hendry,  Willi.ira,  171. 

Henry  L.  Pierce  Sciiool,  354,  391 ;  illus- 
tration, 35,5. 

Hensha,  Daniel,  91. 

"Herald,"  the,  177,179. 

Herenian,  Thomas,  146. 

Hersey,  Abel,  147. 

Hewens,  Benienian,  91. 

Hewins,  Jacob,  82;  John,  .356;  W.  G., 
427. 

Hewitt,  Thomas,  141. 

"History  of  Dorchester,"  195. 

Hiehborn,  Colonel  Benjamin,  401 ;  Sam- 
uel, 402. 

High  School,  339,  346;  Lyceum,  425. 

Hill,  John,  44,  52,  57;  J.  O.,  427;  Thomas, 
279. 

Hingham,  151. 

Hitchings,  Deacon  William,  264. 

Hobart,  William,  179. 

Holbrook,  C.  C,  202. 

Holcomb,  Thomas,  40. 

Holden,  Edward,  .328;  Edward,  194,195, 
279,  282;  James,  147;  Dr.  Phineas, 
144:  Samuel.  Jr.,  146;  Dr. William,  144. 

Holidays,  in  school,  34.3-344. 

Holland,  John,  44,  444. 

Holley,  Joseph,  44. 

Hollingswortli,  Amor,  448;  A.  L.,  174. 

HoUis  brothers,  171. 

Homans,  Captain  John,  132;  Samuel, 
140. 

Homer,  Thomas  S.,  419. 

Holman,  John,  43,  44;  Thomas,  140. 

Holmes,  Rev.  Abiel,  99;  George,  91; 
George,  426;  R.  T.,  426. 

Hooper,  Joseph,  279,  282. 

Hoppin,  John,  81. 

Horn-book,  336. 

Horticulture,  449-451. 

Horton,  .4sa,  139;  Lemuel,  140. 

Hosford  [Horsford]  William,  40. 

Hoskins,  John,  .39. 

Hoten  [Stoughton]  Silas,  147. 

Houghton,  Deacon  Ellis,  264,  268. 

Houses,  old,  Barnard  Capen,  356;  <^lap, 
358;  Bridgh.im,  360;  Pierce,  360; 
Minot,  365;  Blake,  369  ;  Gardner,  370; 
Historic  Barn,  375;  Dolbear,  378;  Ball 
Hughes,  379 ;  Webster,  389  ;  Withing- 
ton,  392;  Cummins,  393;  Swan,  ,394; 
Morton  Pavilion,  399  ;  Walter  Baker, 
401 ;  Everett,  405;  Tavlor,  406;  Newell, 
411;  Codman,  414;  tuttle,  416. 

Howard,  Robert,  44,  60,  297,  300,  301. 

Howe,  Deacon  Charles,  266;  Edward, 
W.,  282:  Deai-on  Isaac,  264;  1.  A., 
427;  James  Blake,  .326;  John,  149. 
332 ;  Deacon  Rufus,  204. 

Howland,  J.  Frank,  174. 

Hoyt,  Simon,  40. 

Hubbard,  early  reference  to  Dorchester, 


34  ;  opposition  to  emigration  to  Wind- 
sor, Conn  ,  36. 

Hubbert  [Hulbert]  William,  39 

Huchings,  John  Rouse,  147. 

Hudson,  Captain,  77. 

Hughs,  Andrew.  140. 

Hughes,  Ball,  379-.389;  Mrs.  Ball,  386. 
387. 

Hull,  108. 

Hull,  George,  40:  John,  40,  513. 

Humfrey,  Elder  James,  sketch  of,  84 
James,  140,  321 ;  Jonas,  141 ;  Micah 
180;  Nathaniel,  140  ;  William,  140. 

Humphreys,  Rev.  Charles  A.,  427,  453 
Henry,"l36 ;  Deacon  Henrv,  248,  267 
340 ;  Deacon  James,  245,  248,  252,  307 
335,  340  ;  Richard  C,  350,  353,  425 
420;  Walter,  425,  426. 

Hunt,  Charles,  432  ;  Jeremiah,  139 
Joseph,  140. 

Husay,  Robert,  91. 

Hutchinson,  Governor  Thomas,  161,  445. 

Hyde,  George  B.,  353. 

Hyde  Park,  set  off  from  Dorchester,  78. 


TDE,  G.  Herbert,  282. 

-^     Independence,  Fort,  see  Castle. 

Indi.ans,  62-67;    letter  of    John   Eliot's 

concerning  the,  65. 
Industries,  444-451. 
Inglee,  Captain  Moses,  245. 
Ireland,  aid  to  Dorchester  from,  80;    aid 

from  Dorchester  to,  81. 


JACKSON,  Gershom,  141 ;  Henrv,  91; 
Jonathan,  448;  Oliver,  140. 

Jacobs,  Mrs.  Alice  Taylor,  469;  Benja- 
min, 245. 

Jarvis,  Dr.  Edward,  353. 

Jay's  Treaty,  ratification  of,  157. 

Jeffrey,  Thomas,  40. 

Jenkins,  James,  282;  John,  140;  T.  F., 
469. 

Jennison,  Ensign  William,  42. 

Johnson,  description  of  Dorchester,  41 ; 
Hfr.,  44:  Daniel,  147;  Ezekiel,  140, 
John,  140. 

Johnston,  T.  M.,  426. 

Jones,  James,  147;  .Tohn,  91;  William 
F.,  426;  Richard,  44:  Thomas,  44,  230; 
Tliuoias  140,  320;  William F.,  282. 

J.in.-s  111]].  -21)-,  238,  281. 

Jii~M_lyii,  (I.  M_ri|)tion  of  Dorchester,  41. 

".hiniata,"  Cruise  of,  157. 


K ELTON,  Thomas,  91. 
Kettell,  Thomas,  413. 
Kej'es,  Nathaniel,  146. 
Kilton,  Ebenezer,  Jr.,  140;    James,  139: 

John,  140;  Samuel,  140. 
Kimball,  Charles  P.,  348. 


490 


Kimbel,  Ezra.  140. 

King,  Charles,  UU;  Edward,  1U4;  Frank- 
lin, 194,432;  Lemuel,  14U. 

Kingesley,  John,  '230. 

King  Pliiiip's  War,  causes  of,  79,  80; 
sufferings  caused  by,  80. 

Kinnersly  [KimberlyJ,  Thomas,  44. 

Kinsley,  Adam,  lUti. 

Kirke,  Percy,  8-3. 

Kitchamakin,  conveys  land  to  the  set- 
tlers  77. 

Kneela'nd,  John,  336,  352. 

Knight,  John,  44. 

Knox,  General  Henrv,  354,  389,  .390, 
398. 


L.4.FAYETTE,  Marquis  de,  394,  396, 
397,  398. 

Lambert.  G.  E  ,  427. 

"  Lamplighter,"  the,  393. 

Lancaster,  Edward  M.,  347. 

Land  Bank  bills,  115. 

Lands,  distribution  of,  4.5,  114;  list  of 
grantees  of  meadow.  45,46;  belonging 
to  the  Church,  270,  271. 

Lawrance,  Rev.  W.  L,  276. 

Lawrence,  Captain  James,  151,  152,  153. 

Leach,  James,  340. 

Leavitt,  John,  40;  Manoah,  194;  W.  P., 
432. 

Leeds,  Daniel,  322;  Daniel,  Jr.,  325; 
Edward  Stow,  140,  146;  Henry  M., 
194;  John.  91;  Joseph,  340;  Joseph, 
Jr.,  455:  .Josiah,  140;  Nathan,  140, 
146;  Richard,  57;  Samuel,  445; 
Thomas,  141. 

Leonard,  .lonathan,  196  ;  Lucius  P.,  282. 

"Lewis,"  the,  177,  179. 

Lewis,  James,  140,  146. 

Lexington,  Dorchester  soldiers  in  battle 
of,  136,  137  ;  battle  of,  161. 

Liberty,  Sons  of,  125,  129. 

Lighthouse,  first,  109. 

Lincoln,  Charles  J.,  346  ;  Hon.  Major- 
Gene  ral,  146. 

"  Lining-out,"  221. 

Little,  Kev.  Arthur,  D.  D.,  350  ;  Marv 
Brant,  469. 

Locofocos,  189,  191,  192. 

London,  aid  to  Dorcliester  from,  80. 

Long,  Governor  John  D.,  453,  479 ;  Jo- 
seph, 91. 

Lord,  Eliplialet,  446;  John,  91;  Rev. 
Joseph,  96,  211,306,  315. 

Loud,  Samuel  P.,  184.  245,  279. 

Lovell,  Joshua,  141;  Captain  William,  44. 

Lucas,  George  W.,  418. 

Lyceum  Hall,  184-189. 

Lvon,  Benjamin,  140;  David,  141;  Eliab, 
"91:  Eliphalet,  141 ;  Henrv,  91 ;  Deacon 
Jesse,  278  ;  Pearlev,  329! 

Ludlow,  Roger,  27,  39,  44,  52  ;  sketch  of, 
52-55. 


Lunibert,  Thomas,  39. 
Luuenburg,  towu  of,  303. 


M 'CLARY,  James,  140. 
McElroy,  G.  W.,  426  ;  Peter,  147. 

McGoldrick,  Rev.  Thomas  C,  283. 

McGoverin,  J.,  426. 

MacGregor,  Deacon  J.  W.,  27S. 

McGukin,  K.  T.,  426. 

.Mclntire,  A.  J  ,  427. 

iMIiit.>sh,  Jeremiah,  140. 

.Mcl.i-an,  Hugh,  445. 

jri-ellan,  Joseph,  141. 

.Mair,  Thomas,  470. 

Makepeace,  Thomas,  44,  48.  ' 

Manhattan,  town  of,  289,  290. 

Maiiks,  Herbert  M.,  471. 

Mann,  Ephraim,  141;  Horace,  187  ;  Wil- 
liam, 141. 

Man'iing,  George,  146. 

Manslield,  A.  .S.,  194. 

Manul.ictcirv  bills,  115. 

Maplev,  Mathew,  91. 

Marie-Anloiuetle,  396,  397,  398. 

Marsh,  i'.  H.,  427. 

MnrliuU,  Thomas,  40. 

Mar^hlifld,  Thomas,  44. 

Marter,  .I..I111,  426. 

Martin,  Ambrose,  48. 

'■Mary  and  John,"  the  Dorchester  com- 
pany set  sail  in  the,  23  ;  first  of  the 
fleet  to  arrive,  24  ;  reaches  Nantasket 
Point,  27. 

"Mary  and  John,"  the,  poem,  464-406. 

Mason,  Captain  John,  27,  40  ;  Jonathan, 
148. 

Massachusetts,  derivation  of  name,  66, 
67. 

Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  settlement 
projected  by  Rev.  John  White,  24  • 
terms  of  the"  patent,  24. 

Massachusetts  Fields,  66. 

•'  Massachusetts  "  Indians,  31. 

Massapoag  Brook,  47. 

Mather,  Cotton,  88,  105,  110,  216 ;  In- 
crease, 89,  110. 

Mather,  Rev.  Richard,  arrival  of,  36  ; 
portrait  of,  37 ;  chosen  teacher  of  the 
Cluirch,  42  ;  controversv  with  Rev. 
Jonathan  Burr,  57,  58 ;  salary  provided 
for,  67  ;  settles  differences  in  church 
at  Hartford,  Conn..  69  ;  petition  drawn 
up  bv,  71-73;  death  of.  79:  journal 
of,  195  ;  Bay  Psalm-Book,  220;  signs 
Church  covenant,  230:  sketch  of,  2-10, 
231  ;  presents  Latin  book  to  school, 
306. 

Mather  School,  309,  335-339;  illustration, 
337. 

Mattapan,  settlement  at,  29. 

Maurough,  William.  146. 

Maverick,  Rev.  John,  chosen  minister  of 
Dorchester  Company,  23  ;  among  first 


491 


freemen,  39 ;  accident  with  powder, 
224  ;  character  of,  224 ;  death  of,  2a0  ; 
Moses,  4(). 

Maxtield,  Ebenezel,  139;  John,  141. 

May,  John  J.,  432,  471  ;  John  P.,  469. 

Mayo,  Thomas,  146. 

Me;ins,  Kev.  James  H.,  199  ;  sketch  of, 
263  ;  historical  sermon  of,  264  ;  signs 
letter  to  First  Church,  268 ;  member  of 
school  board,  352. 

Mears,  John,  379  ;  John,  Jr.  146. 

Meeting-house,  216  ;  tirst  in  Dorchester, 
223. 

Mendum,  Willis  B.,  470. 

Merrilield,  John,  81. 

Mellen,  William,  146. 

Mellish,  John,  140. 

Methodist-Episcopal  Church,  276. 

Meraw,  John,  141;  Samuel,  141  ;  Wil- 
liam, 141. 

Midway,  Ga.,  98,  99 ;  Dr.  Codman's  visit 
to,  100,  101  ;  letter  from,  210. 

Miller,  Alexander,  44;  Dr.  Erasmus  D., 
458;  Hezekiah  Read,  140;  Hezekiah 
Read,  Jr.,  140. 

Millet,  O.  C,  427. 

Millett,  Thomas,  57. 

Mills,  Edward,  315;  Rev.  W.  H.,  280,281. 

Milton,  set  off  from  Dorche..iter,  70,  78; 
church  formed  in.  81 ;  volunteers  to 
Canada  expedition,  90,  91;  gift  of 
land  to.  108  :  soldiers  in  Shays's  Rebel- 
lion, 146,  147;  bridge  built  by,  157. 

Milton  Lower  Falls,  earlv  name,  65. 

Milton  Lower  Mills,  149";  school  at,  325. 

Miner,  Rev.  Bradley,  277;  Henry  B., 
.348. 

Ministers,  216;  list  of,  in  First  Parish, 
247,  248. 

Minot  Cradle,  365,  .366;  illustration.  367. 

Minot,  George,  27  ;  autograph,  27;  select- 
man, 35;  freeman,  40;  lieutenant,  91; 
signs  Church  covenant,  230;  connec- 
tion with  Minot  House,  305 ;  sketch  of, 
369. 

Minot  House,  362,  365,  369  ;  illustration, 
75. 

Minot.  James,  314;  John,  304,  -366;  John, 
107;  Nathaniel,  245. 

Minot  School,  349. 

Modslev.  Thomas  83:  Uii-hf,  91. 

Monroe',  William  V.,  418,  421. 

Montague.  William,  329. 

Moonke.  Elias,  91. 

Moor,  Bartholomew,  140 

Moore,  John,  40,  215. 

Morev.  James,  91. 

Morrill,  John.  91;  .Tohn  M.  E.,  469. 

Morris,  William,  147. 

Morrow,  Henrv,  427. 

Morse,  Elizabeth,  82. 

Morton,  Rev.  James  F..  277;  Perez,  340, 
399,  401,  410.  411 ;  Mrs.  Perez,  410. 

Morton  Pavilion,  399-401. 


Moseley  [Moslev],  Ebenezer,    108,   141 ; 

Flavel,    440  ;  "Samuel,   141,    146,  318; 

Thomas,  141,  146,  149,  245. 
Motley,  John  Lothrop,  401. 
Mott,  Rev.  Frederick  B.,  276. 
Mount  Bowdoin,  201,  209;  view  from,  4 
Mount  Ida,  283. 

Mowry,  William  A.,  300,  350,  351. 
Mulliken,  Dr.  Samuel,  181, 195. 
Mumford,  Rev.  Henry  G.,  275. 
Munnings,  Edmund,  44. 
Murdock,  Samuel,  146. 
Murphy,  Deacon  James  T.,  278. 
Musgrave,  Alexander,  426. 
Music,  in  the  churches,  220-222. 
Muster  Day,  171. 


'M'AnANT,  town  of,  348. 

-L^      Nantasket    Point,    ihe    Dorchester 

Company  land  at,  27  ;  described,  28. 
Nash,  Jonathan,  140. 
Nazro,  John  G.,  432. 
Neponset  Reservoir  Companv,  195. 
Neponset  River,    29,  47,  05,  "69,  157,  179, 

180, 181. 192, 196,  446;  illustration,  197. 
Neponset  Village,  174,  180. 
Newliery  [Newbury],   Thomas,   34,   49, 

40. 
Newbury,  town  of,  289. 
Newell,  James,  411. 
Newell  House,  411-414. 
New    England,   named  by  Capt.  John 

Smith,  23. 
"New  Grant,"  46;  consummation  of  the, 

77;  extent  of,  78;  named,  108. 
Newhall,  Cheever,  449,  451. 
Newtoti  [Newtown],  35,  36. 
Newton,  John,  40. 
Nightingale,  T.  J.,  419. 
Niles,   Ebenezer,    370,    411;    John,    44; 

Peter.  140;  Samuel,  141. 
Noddle's  Lsland,162. 
Nook's  Hill,  133, 164. 
Norfolk  School,  334. 
Norton,  town  of,  109,  123. 
North    Burying    Ground,    see    Burying 

Ground. 
Noves,  George,  282. 


OLD  BURYING  GROUND,  see 
Burijin  q    Ground. 

Old  Dorchester  Club,  4C8. 

(Ildlinm,  Captain  John,  36.  42. 

Old  Hill,  see  Rock  Hill. 

Oliver,  Colonel  Robert,  405;  Lieutenant- 
Governor  Thomas,  318,  401;  William, 
449,  451. 

Orchestra,  church,  222. 

Orcutt,  Mrs.  Ellen  Dana,  469. 

Organs,  222. 

Otherman,  Anthony,  276. 

Otis,  H.  G.,  148. 


492 


PACKARD,  Rev.  E.  N.,  453;  Jona- 
than, 140;  Liberty  D.,  350. 

Packeen  Plain,  37t). 

Page,  William  VV.,  282. 

Paine,  Moses,  «7. 

Paper-making,  448. 

Paper-mill,  174. 

Parker,  James,  40. 

Parkman,  Elias,  40. 

Patten,  Nathaniel,  56. 

Pavson,  Joseph,  141;  Phillips,  318; 
.'Samuel,  141,  147. 

"  Peacock,"  the,  154. 

Penniman  House,  see  Walter  Baker 
Mansion. 

Penniman,  James,  340,  402. 

Pepper,  R.  A.,  470. 

Pequot  Indians,  30 ;  expedition  against, 
42. 

Percival,  Captain  John,  sketch  of,  153- 
157  ;  portrait  of,  155. 

Perry,  Francis,  326. 

"  Peter  Parlev,"  190. 

Phelps,  John  B.,  427;  William,  27; 
selectman,  35 ;  among  first  freemen; 
39;  question  of  boundaries  referred 
to,  74. 

Philip,  King,  controversy  with  Chick- 
ataubut,  77 ;  friendly  relations  of  the 
settlers  with,  79;  letter  to  Captain 
Foster,  79. 

Phillips,  George,  40;  John,  39,  57;  au- 
tograph, 57;  Mrs.  .John,  413;  Samuel 
R.,  282 ;  Thomas,  140. 

Phinnev,  Rev.  G.  A.,  277. 

Phips,  John,  140;  Sir  William,  89;  per- 
sonality of,  90. 

Physicians,  no  record  of  earlv,  114 ; 
Elijah  Danforth,  114;  William  Holden, 
144;  Phineas  Holden,  144;  Eleazer 
Clapp,  168;  Thomas  Danforth,  168; 
Samuel  Miilliken,  181,  195;  Robert 
Thaxter,  199;  John  Phillips  Spooner, 
443  ;  Erasmus  D.  Miller,  458  ;  George 
M.  Reed,  467. 

Pickwick  Club,  422-426. 

Pierce,  Abraham.  147 ;  B.  R..  427 ; 
Deacon  Daniel,  278;  Deacon  Edwanl, 
239,  246,  248,  252;  Ebene/.er,  141;  Ed- 
ward L.,  208;  F.  L.,  470;  George  F., 
202;  Henrv  L.,  354,  4-32,  447;  John, 
40,  57;  John,  36-3,  364;  Rev.  John, 
D.D.,  169,  246;  J.  H.,  426;  Josiah, 
319;  Lewis,  245,  364;  Lemuel,  140; 
Napthali,  140;  Robert,  360,  361,  362; 
Samuel,  364;  Samuel  S.,  443;  Thomas, 
362;  Warren,  257. 

Pierce  House,  360-365;  illustration,  165. 

Pierce,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Samuel,  141: 
sketch  of,  158,  159;  extracts  from 
diary  of,  159-168,  445;  schoolmaster, 
322;  connection  with  Pierce  House, 
364. 

Pierpout,  Rev.  John,  187 ;  Jonathan,  315. 


Pike,  Rev.  Richarl,  275. 

Pincheon,  Mr.,  44. ' 

Pinney,  Humphrey,  '4.  -^^ 

Pirates,  160. 

Pitcher,  Andrew,  44. 

Playing-card  manufactory.  174. 

Plvinpton,  Jeremiah.  348. 

Pole,  William,  286,  311. 

Pomeroy,  Eltweed,  40. 

Pond,  Joshua,  141. 

"  Ponkapoag  "  Indians,  66. 

Ponka])oag  Plantation,  44;  set  aside  for 
the  Indians,  65,  77. 

Ponkapoag  Pond,  land  laid  out  around. 
62;  made  a  separate  township,  111; 
surplus  water  of,  196. 

Pool.  Charles,  426. 

Poope,  Ebenezer,  91;  John,  91. 

Pope,  Elijah,  139:  Elijah,  Jr.,  139;  John, 
40,  230;  Ralph,  139;  William,  245,  432, 
W.  F..  426. 

Porter,  Rev.  Edward  G.,  456;  Rev.  Eli- 
phalet,  D.  D.,  246:  Rev.  G.  W.  279, 
280;  Joseph, 179;  William  R  425,  426. 

Powder-mill,  174,  196. 

"  Power  of  Sympathy,"  the,  408. 

Pratt,  Benjamin,  140;  David,  141,  146; 
Enoch,  330;  Laban,  174,  194. 

Prayers,  length  of,  218,  219. 

"  Preston,"  the,  177. 

Preston,  Daniel,  444;  Daniel,  Jr.,  101, 
;j02,  305;  Edward,  163,  446;  Elisha, 
177  ;  James,  412  ;  John,  432  ;  Remem- 
ber, 108;  Samuel,  140;  William,  44. 

Preston's  Point,  161. 

Price,  David,  44  :    Francis,  108. 

Procter,  George,  44. 

Proctor,  Samuel,  234. 

Proprietors  of  the  Undivided  Lands,  see 
Dorchester  Proprietors. 

Provincial  Congress,  1.30. 

Provincial  period,  bridge  to,  87  ;  excite- 
ment incident  to,  89. 

Purchase,  Widow,  44. 

Puritans  of  Massachusetts,  20. 

Puritan  movement,  19. 

Putnam  Nail  Company,  448. 

Putnam,  S.  S.,  194. 


QUIGLEY,  Williain,  427. 
Quincy,    town    of,    79,    192.     See 
ftrrnntree. 
Quincy  Bay,  66,  74. 
Quincy,  Edmund,  66. 


RAILROAD.  179;  opposition  to,  192- 
■    194. 
Randall,  Jacob,  140;  Philip,  40  ;  Samuel, 


Rawlins,  Thomas,  40. 
Ravnstord,  Edward,  44. 
Read,  Williain,  40. 


493 


Readman,  Charles,  01. 

Rebellion,  W  ar  of,  263,  418-422. 

Record  Book,  4-3,  44. 

Reed,  Dr.  George  M.,  467  ;  William  Gar- 
rison, 469. 

Revere,  Paul,  196,  252. 

Revolution,  War  of,  124-142. 

Kevnolds,  William,  B.,  3'M. 

Richards,  Uavid,  141  ;  E.  Q.,  426  ;  Rev. 
Humphrev,  277;  James,  147;  Samuel, 
147  ;  Thomas,  44;  W.  W.  427. 

Richardson,  C.  W.  426  ;  John,  449,  451 ; 
Robert,  279,  282,  340;  William  H., 
340. 

Richmond,  Rev.  Edward,  D.  D,  169; 
sketch  of,  271,  272. 

Richmond,  John,  140. 

Ricker,  Mrs.  Enieline  C.  470. 

Kifle  Compauv,  171. 

Riplev,  Mrs.  Clara  M.,  469. 

Roads,  early,  67. 

Robbins,  Edward  Hutchinson,  323  : 
James  M.,  195. 

Robie,  J.  E.,  426. 

Robinson,  Major  Edward,  245;  E.  B., 
347,  348;  James,  91;  Captain  James, 
146,  149 ;  Colonel  John,  124, 140  ;  John, 
316;  John  H.,  184  ;  Rev.  John  P.,  278; 
Captain  Lemuel,  1.30,  159,  161,  378; 
Samuel,  .306;  Thomas,  147. 

Rocket,  Richard,  44. 

Rock  Hill  [Rocky  Hill  J,  fort  built  at,  29; 
guns  mounted  at,  50. 

Rockwell,  William,  27,  .39,  215. 

Rogers,  Captain  William  M.,  413. 

Rolfe,  William  J.,  346.  425. 

Ronan.  Rev.  Peter,  282,  3.52. 

"  Rose,"  frigate,  88. 

Rosseter,  Edward,  27,  39;  Hugh,  44. 

Rossiter,  Brav,  40. 

Roundy,  W.  A.,  470. 

Eoxburv,  town  of,  .35,  78,  129,  131  135, 
150,  162,  163,  164,  167,  224. 

Russell,  Daniel,  146. 


SAGAMORE,  of  Agawam,  49. 
St.  Anne's  Mission,  280.  281. 

St  Mari-'s  Church,  188;  forming  of,  278. 

St.  Peter,  parish  of,  282. 

Salem,  the  "Arbella"  arrives  at,  30; 
earlv  taxation,  36  ;  General  Court  held 
at,  130 ;  court  dissolved,  161 :  school 
established  at,  289,  290. 

Sallonstall,  Rev.  L.  W.,  281. 

Sandras,  Hopstill,  91;  Samuel,  91. 

Sanford,  Rev.  David,  181  ;  Thomas,  44. 

Savin  Hill,  see  Hock  Hill;  named  by 
Joseph  Tuttle,  52 ;  signiticance  of  name, 
52  ;  early  settlers  on,  52-57  ;  reference 
made  by  Edward  Everett  to,  57. 

School,  first  public  provision  in  America 
for  free,  49,  289,  290;  important  posi- 
tion held  by,  289  ;  Thompson's  Island 


granted  for  support  of,  49,  290  ;  early 
plans  for,  292;  rules  and  direction.^, 
292-300 ;  petition  to  General  Court  in 
behalf  of,  .303  ;  land  laid  out  for,  304; 
bequests  to,  304  ;  Latin  book  presented 
to,  306  ;  for  girls,  308,  309 ;  number  of 
pupils  in  1792,  308;  in  1834,  342;  in 
1846,  344;  town  divided  into  wards, 
309  ;  school  at  Lower  Hills,  325  ;  rules 
and  regulations,  1805,  333  ;  text-books 
used  in,  335,  3.36;  high  school,  339, 
346;  school  districts  renumbered,  342; 
holidays,  343;  celebration  of  250lh  anni- 
versary, 349-353  ;  summary,  354,  470. 

School  Committee,  first  established,  60, 
297. 

Schoolhouse,  fir.st,  301;  second,  307. 

Schoolmasters,  291,  309-330. 

Schools,  private,  344,  345. 

School  Wardens,  see  School  Committct. 

Scott,  Ebenezer,  146. 

Seal,  of  Colony,  313;  evolution  of  State, 
313  ;  adoption  by  town,  429  ;  illustra- 
tion, 429. 

Sears,  Barnas,  208;  David,  209. 

Seaver,  Edwin  P.,  352  ;  Elisha,  141. 

Seaverns,  Henry  A.,  419. 

Second  Parish  Church,  forming  of,  150, 
249;  the  Codman  controversy,  254- 
263  ;  list  of  deacons  in,  264  ;  celebra- 
tion of  75th  anniversary,  264-268; 
illustration,  42-3. 

Selectmen,  earlv,  34..35. 

Sension,  Matthias  [Matthew],  40. 

.Sever,  Jonathan,  140. 

Sewall,  Judge,  102.  218,  222. 

"Shannon,"  the.  151,  152,  153. 

Sharon,  town  of,  47,  78;  set  off  from 
Dorchester,  78;  trouble  over  fish  laws, 
445.  446. 

Sharp,  Daniel,  282;  Deacon  Edward, 
264,  340;  George  H.  L.,  282;  Deacon 
James  C,  204,  268,  269,  William,  141. 

Shavs's  Rebellion,  145;  Dorchesier  sol- 
diers in.  146. 

Slieafe,  Mark  W.,  282. 

Shed,  Thomas,  141. 

Shepard,  M.  M.,  427;  Koyal,  146. 

Sherman,  James,  140. 

Shoot,  Joshua,  91. 

Shuttlesworth,  Samuel,  324. 

Silvester,  Rev.  W.  W.,  280,  281. 

Sinipkins,  Captain,  59. 

Singing,  221. 

Slave-trade,  position  taken  by  early  set- 
tlers toward,  61. 

Sinallage,  Andrew  J.,  282. 

Small-pox,  109,  144,  1.59,  167. 

Smith.  Aaron,  323;  Elbridge,  346,  471; 
Henn-,  40:  Increase  S.,  352;  Mrs. 
Jemima,  331;  J.  V.  C,  210;  Thomas, 
140;  Rev.  W.  E.  C.  281. 

Smith,  Captain  John,  first  record  of  Bos- 
ton Harbor,  23;  autograph,  23;  gives 


494 


name  to  New  Enj;land  and  the  Charles 
Kiver,  -23. 

Smith,  Quartermaster  John,  27;  select- 
man, •ib;  freeman,  40. 

Soulier's  Monument,  239,  421,  422,  426- 
429. 

Sons  of  Liberty,  125,  159. 

Soule,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  P.,  470. 

South  Boston,  see  Dorchester  Neclc. 

South  Carolina,  expedition  to,  97-101. 

Southcote,  Ricliard,  27,  39;  Thomas,  39. 

Southworth,  Dallas,  427;  Edward,  339. 

Spaulding,  Uev.  Henry  C,  275,  27B; 
Captain  Jeremiah,  389;  William  C, 
390. 

Spencer,  A.  W.,  202. 

Spormer,  Dr.  John  P.,  352,  443. 

Spr.i-ue.  Willinm,  390. 

Spur,  Kl]-lia,  1411;  James,  140,  147;  Lem- 
uel, 140  ;  Robert,  81,  114. 

Squantum,  town  of,  66.  74,  308. 

Stjueb,  Captain, commanderof  the  "  Mary 
and  John,"  23;  perversity  of,  28;  justi- 
lication  of,  28. 

Stage-coaches,  170,  171. 

Stamp  Act,  124. 

Standish,  Captain  Miles,  first  accurate 
description  of  Boston  Harbor,  24. 

Starli,  James  H.,  471. 

Stearns,  A.  T.,  194,  4-32;  Rev.  W.  A., 
210. 

Stedman,  Dr.  Charles  E.,  282;  Daniel 
B.,  Jr.,  282,  432. 

Sterling,  A.  K.,  419;  J.  W.,  419,  427. 

Stevens,  Newell  D.,  419. 

Stevenson,  David,  91. 

Sticknev,  Josi.Th,  177. 

Stiles,  Robert,  81. 

Stimpson,  Charles,  282;  J.  N.  426. 

Stoddard,  Daniel,  140,  140. 

Stone,  A.  C,  420;  Benjamin,  Jr.,  418, 
420,426;  Mrs.  Lucy,  471-475;  portrait 
of,  473;  M.  W.,  419,  426. 

Storer,  Amos  R.,  306. 

Stoughton,  town  of,  47,  65,  78;  set  off 
from  Dorchester,  78;  volunteers  to 
Canada  expedition,  90,  91;  opposition 
to  loss  of  territory,  124 ;  field  officers 
chosen  at,  161;  trouble  over  fish  laws, 
445,  440. 

Stoui,'hton  Fund,  305. 

Stoughton  Hall,  340. 

Stoughton,  Israel,  27;  autograph,  27; 
seh'ctman,  34;  freeman,  40;  captain  of 
militarv  companv,  43;  sketch  of,  56, 
57;  first  mill  in  New  England,  57; 
granted  a  fish-weir.  444. 

Stoughton's  Mill,  first  in  New  England, 
57. 

Stoughton  School,  346. 

Stoughton,  Thomas,  39,  62. 

Stoughton,  William,  82;  chosen  lieuten- 
ant-governor, 89;  personalitv  of,  90; 
death,  101;   sketch  of,  102-106;    por- 


trait of,  103;  epitaph,  106;  urged  to 
become  pastor,  232;  bequest  to  school, 
306,  306. 

Stoves,  late  use  of,  in  churches,  222, 
223;  opposition  to  use  of,  223. 

Strange,  George,  40. 

Strangers,  law  concerning,  68. 

Stratton,  Benjamin,  141. 

Streets,  early,  51. 

Stuart,  Jane,  389. 

Sumner,  C,  179;  Clement,  140;  Ebene- 
zer,  91;  F.  H.,  426;  Increase,  305; 
.Jesse,  147;  Jezeniah,  91;  Oiis,  426; 
Rufus,  140;  Samuel,  91;  William,  44, 
91,  304,  314;  William,  183.  448;  Gen- 
eral William  H.,  450. 

Superfluities,  law  concerning,  50,  51. 

'•  Superior,"  the,  177. 

Swan,  Colonel  James,  394-399;  Madame 
James,  .397,  .398;  .James  E.,  426;  Sam- 
uel, 187,  188;  William  D.,  184,  194, 
195,  35.3. 

Swan  House,  394-399  ;  illustration  of,  25. 

Swift,  Jame.s,  91;  John,  146 ;  Thomas, 
40;  William,  91. 

Symonds,  Micha,  140. 


rPAFT,  John  B.,  4.32. 

-L      Talcott,  John,  74. 

Tate  and  Brady's  Psalms,  159. 

Taunton,  78,  101. 

Tavlor,  George,  140. 

Taylor  House,  406-411;  illustration,  407. 

Tea,  opposition  to  tax  on,  126-130,  160. 

Tea  Partv,  Boston,  129. 

Teelan,  .fames,  427. 

Temple,  Thomas  F.,  469. 

Templeman,  J.  W.,  427. 

Terry,  Stephen,  39. 

Thacher,  Cesar,  140;  Mrs.  Margaret, 
265;  Rev.  Peter,  107,  317. 

Thayer,  Arodi,  125,  359  ;  Eleazer,  147  ; 
Rev.  George  A.,  453  ;  Jazaniah,  140; 
Nathaniel,  177  ;  Samuel,  140. 

Thaxter,  Dr.  Robert,  199,  200,  233. 

"Thesaurus  Romance  et  Britannicae," 
306. 

Third  Religious  Society,  259;  formation 
of,  268;  ministers  of,  271-276. 

Thompson,  C.  M.,  202:  David,  31,  49, 
•302;  Josiah.  147:  William,  140. 

Thompson's  Island,  4'.l  :  deposition  con- 
cerning, 49;  grantiil  to  Di.rtliester,  49, 
292  ;  granted  to  .bdm  Tiiompson,  50, 
302;  rent  imposed  upon,  290. 

Thompson,  John,  Thompson's  Island 
granted  to.  50,  302. 

Thornton.  Isaac,  146  ;  Thomas,  40. 

Tileston  S:  Hnllingsworth.  448. 

Tileslon,  Miss  Anne  S.,  208;  C.  E.,  470; 
E.  B.,  426;  Edmund  P.,  194,  195,  384, 
429,  432,  448:  Ezekiel.  140;  Frank, 
202;  James,  140;  John  B.,  203;  Lem- 


495 


uel,  427  ;   Nathaniel  W.,  429  ;  Onesi- 

phorus,    322;     Thomas,   44;    Thomas, 

116;    Timothv,    87;    Timotliv,    141; 

William  H.,  420. 
Tileston  School,  349. 
Tilestone,  Cornelius,  91. 
Tilley,  John,  40. 
Tillinghast,  Nicholas,  446. 
Tinian  Point,  413,  414. 
Tobacco,  law  passed  concerning,  48. 
Tolman,  C.  E.,  427;  Ebenezer,  149,  376; 

Elijah,  140  ;  Ezekiel,  167  ;  Ezekiel,  252 ; 

G.  E.,  426 ;  John,  91,  305 :   Robert  P., 

179  ;  Thomas,  140;  Thomas  J.,  193. 
Topliff,  Clement,  110;  tombstone  of,  288; 

Nathaniel,   140,   246  ;    Elder   Sanmel, 

110,  248  ;    Samuel,  schoolmaster,  30(1, 

326. 
Torre V,  Deacon  Elbridge,  264,  268 ;  Noah, 

139". 
Tory,  Reuben,  140. 
Town  government,  tirst  special  in  New 

England,  established,  34,  35. 
Train,  Enoch,  208. 
Training  Dav,  171. 
Trask,   William  B.,  194,   195,  215,   265, 

307,  309,  352,  358,  400,  411,  453. 
Tredwell,  Tho.,  360. 
Trefethen,  Benjamin.  152,  153. 
Tremlett,  Thomas,  184,  340. 
Trescot,  John,  302. 
Trescott,    John,    140,    146;    .Toseph,   91; 

William,  140. 
Trevour,  William,  31,  49. 
Triscott,  Samuel,  91. 
Trott,  Benjamin,  140. 
Trow,  Richard,  146. 
Tucker,  Edward,  141. 
Tudor,  William,  148. 
Turner,  Andrew,  140 ;  Elijah,  446  ;  Joseph, 

140,  147  ;  Captain  Nathaniel,  42. 
Turnpike,  149. 

Tuthill,  Francis,  44;  Joshua,  44. 
Tuttle  House,  416-417  ;  illustration,  53. 
Tuttle,  .Joseph,  52,  416 ;  Thomas  W.  202. 
"  Twelve  Divisions,"  the,  78,  114. 
Twitchell,  Joseph,  40. 
Tyng,  James  A.,  282. 


UNCAS,  58. 
"  Uncataquissett,"  65. 
Underbill,  Captain  John,  42. 
Upham,  James  H.,  428. 
Upsall,  Nicolas,  .39. 
"  Unquety,"  65,  70,  77. 


VAIL,  William  K.,  .348. 
Vane,  Sir  Henrv,  71. 
Vang:hn,  John,  1.39. 
Veazie,  Samuel,  328. 
Veit,  Frederick,  427. 
Village  Church,  181. 


Vinson,  Charlotte  A.,  470. 

Vinton,  Deacon  Josiah  C.,  264. 

Vose,  Alexander,  147  ;  Elijah,  199  ;  Eli- 
jah, 449,  451;  George,  140;  Joseph, 
161  ;  Robert,  348  ;  Robert,  Jr.,  348 ; 
William,  140. 


WAGES,  established  bv  law,  58. 
Waitt,  Jr.,  David,"l46. 

Wales,  Ebenezer,  252  ;  Ebenezer,  140, 
149  ;  Ephraim,  239  ;  John,  140  ;  Jona- 
than, 141  ;  Nathaniel,  140  ;  Thomas 
C,  413  ;  Timothv,  140. 

Wales's  Creek,  108. 

Walford,  Thomas,  29. 

Walker,  Rev.  James,  D.  D.,  208. 

Wall,  Henry  W.,  425. 

Walks,  Eleazer,  91. 

Walsh,  Richard  J.,  350. 

Walter  Baker  Mansion,  340,  401-405. 

Wampatuck,  successor  to  Kitchamakin, 
77 ;  death  of,  77. 

Ward,  Josiah,  141;  Joseph  T.,  Jr.,  349. 

Ware,  Horace  E.,  174. 

Warham,  Rev.  John,  chosen  minister  of 
Dorchester  Company,  23  ;  heads  emi- 
gration to  Windsor,  Conn.,  36 ;  among 
first  freemen,  39  ;  sketch  of,  224,  225. 

War  of  1812, 150-151. 

Warren,  Horace  W.,  354;  M.  H.,  427. 

Washington,  George,  132,  133  ;  portrait 
of,  127. 

Washington  School,  347. 

Washington  Village,  set  off  from  Dor- 
chester, 78,  183. 

Waterhouse,  Rev.  Thomas,  291,  292. 

Waters,  John,  140. 

Watertown,  expedition  to,  29  :  early 
taxation,  36. 

Wav  [Wey]  Henry,  34,  44. 

Webb,  Joseph,  141. 

AVebster,  Daniel.  354,  389-392. 

Webster  House,  389-392. 

Weeks.  Amniiel,  91 ;  George,  57  ;  Joseph, 
91  ;  Thomas,  91. 

Weights  and  measures,  83. 

Welch,  John  H.,  282. 

Welde,  Thomas,  220. 

Welles,  Arnold,  390;  Hon.  John,  389. 

Wesselhoeft,  R.,  426. 

Weston,  Francis,  58. 

Wevmouth,  162. 

Wheeler,  Captain  Abraham,  286  ;  B.  T., 
470;  Sylvester,  427. 

Wheelwright,  Jotliam,  147. 

Whigs,  18'8,  189,  190. 

Whiston,  Joseph,  140,  142,  143. 

Whitcomb,  Noah,  140;  Noah,  Jr.,  14U  : 
Samuel,  340. 

White,  Deacon  Abijah,  248  :  James,  141  ; 
John,  147  ;  Hon.  Joseph,  291 ;  Moses, 
140  ;  Robert.  147  :  Samuel,  140  . 
Thomas,  140  ;  William,  140. 


496 


White,  Rev.  John,  connection  with  emi- 
gration movements,  22  ;  the  Patriarch 
of  Dorchester,  22;  religious  sentiments, 
22  ;  projects  new  settlement  in  Massa- 
chusetts Bav,  24. 

Whitelield,  Kev.  George,  115,  237-239. 

Whiting,  Rev.  Lvman,  208. 

Whitman,  Jlrs.  Bernard,  365. 

Whitmore,  Charles  D.,  177,  413;  Wil- 
liam H.,  470. 

Whiton,  Mrs.  Royal,  470. 

Whittemore,  Joseph,  146  ;  N.  Hosea, 
349. 

Wiatte,  Edward,  91. 

Wighen,  John,  141. 

Wilcox,  William,  287. 

Wilder,  Marshall  P.,  201,  208,  432,  449, 
450,  454,  462. 

Wilkins,  Bray,  40. 

Williams,  Isaac,  426;  John,  314;  John, 
141;  Joseph,  140;  Joshua,  139;  Samuel, 
147;  Sidney  B.,  447;  Thomas,  131). 
146. 

Williams,  Roger,  selectman,  35;  among 
first  freemen,  39. 

Willis,  Michael,  57;  S.  J.,  174. 

Wilson,  Abraham,  140;  Andrew,  427; 
Ephraim,  141;  Rev.  Gowen  C,  455; 
Rev.  John,  Jr.,  57,  61;  sketch  of,  2.32; 
Rev.  John  Braiuerd,  277 ;  Rev.  War- 
ren C,  453. 

Wilton,  David,  40. 

Windsor,  Corm.,  proposed  emigration 
to,  36 ;  opposition  to  emigration,  36 : 
emigration  to,  36;  discussion  as  to 
precedence  of  church  over  that  in 
Dorchester,  227,  228. 

Winship,  Nathaniel,  146 


Winthrop,  Adam,  307;  Governor  John, 
42,  48,307;  Robert  €.,  209,  390. 

Wiswall  [Wiswell],  Daniel,  146  ;  Enoch, 
305;  Ichabod,  139,  141,  310;  Deacon 
John,  44,  60,  297,  300,  301 ;  John,  140; 
John,  Jr.,  140;  Lois,  410;  Oliver,  141; 
Samuel,  316. 

M^itchcraft  82. 

Witchfleld '[Whitfield],  John,  40. 

Witham,  Daniel,  318. 

Withington,  Daniel,  146,  245;  Captain 
Ebenezer,  130,  141,  160,  264  ;  Edward, 
140,  378  ;  Elijah,  139;  Henry,  230,  248; 
James,  141  ;  Captain  John,  90,  91 ; 
Captain  John,  140,  146  ;  Joseph,  139 ; 
Joseph,  Jr.,  139,  141  ;  Lemuel,  140 ; 
Mrs.  Major,  392,  393  ;  Richard,  302  ; 
William,  146  ;  William,  279. 

Withington  House,  392,  393. 

Wolcott,  Henry,  27  ;  selectman,  34  ;  a 
possible  stockholder  in  Dorchester 
Company,  .39;  among  first  freemen,  39. 

Wood,  F.  M.,  470  ;  James,  139  ;  Mrs. 
Miriam,  331  ;  William,  description  of 
Boston  Harbor,  28  ;  description  of 
Dorchester,  41. 

Woodman,  George,  432. 

Woolridge,  John,  39,  74. 

Worthington,  William,  56. 

Wrentham,  town  of,  78 ;  set  off  from  Dor- 
chester, 78,  101;  opposition  (o  loss  of 
territory,  124. 

Wright,  Henry,  40. 

YOUNG,  George   B.,  427;  J.  G.,  Jr., 
470;    Mrs.   Minnie,   470;  S.    W., 
427. 


I 


^20^ 


M